Past Memories
by gigabyte1
Summary: Paige and Emily's story back when Alison was bullying Paige. It follows the beginning of their love story and coming out, and what would have happened if Ali wasn't murdered. Paily AU.
1. Chapter 1

Being Paige McCullers is not easy, and lately it's becoming a nightmare. I'm just an ordinary girl who lives in Rosewood and that has a very demanding father who is obsessed with my grades and my swimming. And I shouldn't forget that I have no friends, so I am used to bear my burdens alone. Maybe this is reason why I'm stronger, because I have noticed my personality has drastically changed in very little time. I know, my life it's pretty sad, but to make things even worse, my life is hell since I joined the swimming team and well… It all started when Emily Fields entered into my pathetic life and I started to have feelings that my father would consider disgusting. It had never occurred to me that maybe I am a les…

"God, I can't even say the word," I think to myself.

It isn't something new, I mean, I've dated some guys, and being with them doesn't feel great, but at first I didn't think that maybe I didn't like to date boys because I like girls, not until I saw Emily for the first time. I had noticed her in the halls, but it wasn't until my first practice in the swimming team that I felt my heart instantly stopped when she smiled at me. Anyway, it doesn't matter, I guess I have to hide my feelings and try to be a decent human being. I hope this is a phase, maybe I find her very fascinating because she has a great life and she's always anchoring the meets of our team. Beyond this, there's a girl in school who is a total bitch. Her name is Alison and she's always insulting people and making up cruel nicknames. Besides, she's Emily's friend, along with other three girls who complete her entourage. I don't understand why Emily is even talking to that bitch, because she's just the opposite, Emily's a very nice and understanding girl and Alison is a stupid bully who doesn't get tired up of teasing everyone in high school. I know she bullies almost half of the school. Some of the names I can come up with are Mona and Lucas, who have to put up with her bullshit everyday. When she knows that he has achieved her goal of ruining her victim's life, she moves on and chooses another victim to continue with her torture. Teachers don't do anything about it, and it's really frustrating to see an adult who is supposed to be devoted to our education to ignore this heinous attitude.

"Hey, you, Frodo!" I hear Mona saying with her annoying voice. "Yeah, I'm talking to you, loser," she keeps insulting.

I am looking for my practice bag and I turn around because even if I have never spoken with her maybe she's referring to me. I hope that's not the case, because I don't want to be her next victim, my life is shitty enough the way it is, so I don't want to have another problem in my long list of misfortunes.

"What did I do to you to treat me like this?" I hear Mona saying, not raising her voice but obviously tired of her.

"I don't want to see your stupid face everyday, Frodo! You need to change your locker, so go to the principal's office and tell him that. You have till tomorrow or there will be consequences, dwarf," she shouts at her.

I can't stand her, I won't have her talking like that, at least not in front of me. I am not a coward, well, maybe I am, but I won't be a coward in front of her. I don't have much to lose, so I am not afraid of her arrogance.

"What is wrong with you? She didn't say anything. Why don't you shut up?" I tell her angrily.

"Wow! Who are you? Are you her lawyer? Do you know who I am?" She asks me with her sarcastic tone of voice.

"Yeah, I know who you are. You are the girl who torments every student in this school because you obviously have a mental disorder or some bigger problem. What the hell is your problem?" I add.

"You don't know who you're talking to. I didn't know who you were until now, but you will regret your words, that I can assure you, no neck," She tells me staring at me defiantly.

Maybe I should have not said a word, but I couldn't stand seeing her tear another person, I don't want her to find another weak target and ruin his/her life. She loves the leadership and she has a manipulative nature, but someone has to stop her nonsense. She walks away looking at me, but I don't look away, I don't want her to think I am this weak person that she can easily bully. Someone has to take a stand and fight her before she thinks she is invincible.

"Are you okay?" I ask Mona.

"Yeah, I am fine, I am used to hearing her insults, so I don't care," she answers, staring at the floor shyly.

"You don't have to stand her humiliations, every day. You should stand up to her, you have to take care of the matter, or you'll end up with several personality problems. I know it's not easy, but I am trying to help you," I add.

"I know I should do something about it, but I have no strength and courage left. I hope she doesn't retaliate against you, she loves finding new victims," she says very preoccupied.

She is terrified, maybe I have underestimated Alison and her schemes, but I am not afraid, not a single bit. I know how to face bullies, I am not a violent person, but I know how to defend myself, even if right now I am not emotionally strong enough. I try to forget this nasty incident, I grab my bag and I make my way to the natatorium. This is my second week in the team, and I love being in it, not just because of the swimming, I obviously love being with Emily, even if it's only 2 minutes.

"Hey, Paige!" I hear her saying, with a wide smile in her face. "How are you? Are you ready for your second week of practice?" She asks me.

"Yeah, I am ready, I know I am not gonna beat you, though. You are unbeatable, Fields," I tell her smiling.

"Well, I have been observing you this last week and I can guarantee your swimming has improved notably. In no time I will have to make an effort to be the anchor in meets," she says nicely.

"_Observing me? Really? Don't get excited, Paige, she's talking about your swimming, silly,"_ I think to myself.

"Thank you. My father is always telling me that I have to improve my breathing, but he only sees my defects, so I don't know about that," I add.

"You have no flaws, Paige," she insists smiling.

"_Did she just paid me a compliment? How fucking great is that?"_ I think to myself.

I can feel I am blushing and my heart is racing, but I try to improvise.

"Thank you. Is it hot in here, right? My body needs some swimming," I say laughing.

**Emily's POV**

Practice was really good, I needed to let off some steam and it really worked. The new girl in the swimming team seems nice, and she is a hell of a swimmer, she just needs to keep fit and practice a lot of hours. I am really happy she's joined us, because we needed another strong swimmer to win more meets, because the Coach is not satisfied with our latest meets. Ben is waiting for me outside the locker room. I am not in the mood to speak with him, lately he's been such a jerk, he's like obsessed with sex and she wants us to take the next step. I keep on telling him that I am not ready, but I don't think I will ever be prepared to sleep with him. I honestly don't know why I am dating him, because I don't find him attractive, but I prefer not to think about that because Alison is my friend and I don't like girls. Lately I've been having unusual feelings, like I can not avoid looking at girls and I don't find boys interesting at all. In fact, when I see Alison I feel butterflies in my stomach, but I hope this is not happening to me, I prefer to have an ordinary life, no drama involved.

"Hey, gorgeous! Do you want to grab a coffee? Or maybe we could go home, my folks are out of town," He says grinning.

"I am meeting my friends, so, maybe we can meet tomorrow." I add.

"You are always with your stupid friends or swimming. It seems that you don't want to spend time with me, Emily," he says angrily.

"Ben, I am not in the mood to do this, so leave me alone," I tell him while I walk away.

When I open the door I see my friends are sitting in the usual table.

"Hey, guys".

"Hi, Em," Aria, Hanna and Spencer say.

Alison is there, but she doesn't mutter a word. Sometimes I wonder why I have these feelings for her, because most part of the day she's a total bitch. But she's a magnet or some kind of power, because when I am alone with her she can be adorable. It's like she has multiple personalities depending on who she is with and if there's more people around her, like she feels a certain obligation to play a role. When we are alone she can be the more attentive person in the world.

"Are you okay, Ali?" I ask her nicely.

"It's okay. I was thinking about this girl I had a fight with. Do you know Mona? She's that stupid girl who doesn't speak and who is always staring at me. Well, she was blocking my locker so I told her to get the fuck out, and this girl defended her, like she was her mother. It was pathetic! I hadn't noticed her until today, but I would say she has confronted the wrong person," Alison says furiously.

I don't know who that girl is, but if I was her I would apologize, because Alison is gonna ruin her life with her nicknames, public humiliations and evil plans.

"Who is this girl you are talking about?" Hanna asks.

"I think her name is Paige, but I don't know her surname," Alison says frowning.

"McCullers?" Spencer asks with a surprised expression.

"Yeah, it could be, but I am not sure. She's a tall girl with no neck. Stupid bitch!" Alison shouts.

"Well, I know her," Spencer adds. "She was in the hockey team, she's tough, she likes to win, I can assure you that," Spencer says raising her eyebrows.

"Okay, I know her too. She's in my History class. She seems quiet and shy, I always see her wandering the halls alone," Aria says with a sad face expression.

"Don't feel sorry for her, she's an asshole," Alison says.

"I know her too, she's nice. Maybe the girl you spoke to isn't Paige. It's impossible we are talking about the same person," I say nicely.

"Are you fucking high? No neck? I'm pretty sure her name is Paige. Is there any other Paige in the school?" Alison asks.

"I don't think so, we are talking about the same girl, but we obviously have different opinions about her," Hanna says grinning.

"We'll see who wins this battle," Alison says with that evil look that I don't like about her.

I will warn Paige about Alison, she shouldn't mess with her or there will be fatal consequences in her life. This is the Alison that I don't like, but I can't help to like her when she's "the adorable Alison".

**Paige's POV**

Finally it's time to go home, and I really appreciate it because my day was not very good. Well, the only good thing that happened today was talking to Emily and seeing her beautiful smile. And I can't forget that the perfect girl told me that I was flawless. I mean, I can't express how happy I am right now just because she said that. I think she is the only reason why I go to school not feeling like shit, everything else is meaningless for me. My mom will be here soon, because today I didn't come to school by bike like I always do.

"Listen to me, weirdo," I hear someone shouting. "Yeah, I am talking to you, no neck," she says.

I turn around and I see her stupid face. I decide not to say anything, I am gonna ignore her, that's the best thing I can do right now. I don't want to confront her again, I'm really tired.

"Stay away from my girl, freak! I don't wan't to see you talking to her. Understood?" She yells at me.

"_Her girl? Is she talking about Emily?"_ I think to myself.

"I don't know what you're talking about. Leave me alone, please," I tell her.

"Don't talk to her, don't look at her, don't do anything without my permission," she says defiantly and raising her finger.

"Whatever," I say.

I turn my back on her, I think ignoring her is my best option.

"Bitch!" She yells from the distance while she walks away.

I don't know why she's mentioning Emily. Does she know I like her? Maybe Emily defended me and that's why she's so pissed off. Well, maybe I am imagining things I would really like to happen in real life, but I am glad I stopped her from harassing Mona today. I know that Alison is gonna torture me but I think I can handle her, I can be a bitch if I want to. And she's insane if she thinks that I am going to stop talking to Emily, because she's the reason why I keep smiling even if right now my life is a total disaster.


	2. Chapter 2: So many feelings

**Hi, guys! Thank you for your comments. **

**The story starts when Alison was still alive, and it follows Paige's difficult coming out. Emily will have to deal her feelings too, of course. I'll write about some of the scenes from season one and I will change their story, because I want to try another storyline that doesn't involve Maya. Enjoy!**

**literarylesbian37: Yeah, I hate her too. That's why I wanted to write about Ali harassing Paige.**

**ov4arenko: Thank you! We will see a courageous Paige, but she will be having tough moments too. And we will also see her psycho outbreaks. xDDD**

**Emily's POV**

These last days have been very difficult for me, I'm having very strong feelings for Alison and the other day I couldn't hide them anymore. We were talking in the library, it was empty, there wasn't a soul in sight, so I couldn't hold my feelings for her and I kissed her. Her reaction was good, I mean, she smiled at me. But a few days later I kissed her in the neck when we were in the locker room and she got furious. Why is she so adorable one day and unkind a few days later? I don't understand her strange behaviour and I've got mixed feelings about it, she's my friend, but sometimes it seems like she wants to be more than friends. I don't event know why I am her friend, she's evil and she treats people like crap. She has caused too many problems for me, and I don't want to be another one of her victims, I'm done suffering from things that don't matter. I am pretty sure she's playing me, and with all the doubts I'm having and my and problems with Ben this is becoming a huge problem. I need to do something about my relationship with Ben, I don't want to be with him and like it or not, now I am very convinced that it wasn't just a phase, I definitely like girls. As if I didn't have enough on my mind. I have to make radical changes in my life, because I can't pretend to be someone I am not. First of all, I need to tell my friends, not Alison, because she obviously knows it. I am pretty sure my other three friends will be okay with it, it doesn't concern me at all, but I can't help to be nervous. Then I should talk to my parents, but I am not sure how my mother will react to the news. I mean, she's an open-minded woman, I don't remember her saying mean things about being gay, but I also know that things can change if it affects your family directly. Anyway, it's got to be done as soon as possible, otherwise my head is going to explode.

"Hey. Good morning!" Paige says while I am still deep in thought.

"Hey. How are you?" I answer smiling at her.

"I'm fine. How about you? Is something wrong? You seem worried about something," she asks.

"Well… it's nothing. I was thinking about… It doesn't matter. I don't want to bore you till death about my philosophical views on my life," I say laughing.

"I didn't think you were 'that kind' of person."

"What do you mean? I am a very reflective girl, and I was having a deep moment of introspection. Are you telling me you thought I was dumb? I ask her grinning.

"Well, yeah, I am surprised about it. So, your head is not empty, you have brains in it. It's a real shocker!" she says laughing and touching my head.

"You are a dork," I tell her with a wide smile in my face.

I can see Alison is looking at us, she's standing next to the classroom at the end of the hall. She's glowering at Paige, and when she looks at me she frowns disapproving my companion. What is wrong with her? Maybe a few days ago I'd say she's jealous, but she made it very clear that she's obviously not interested in me, so I don't understand why she's behaving like this. Besides, lately she's obsessed with ruining Paige's life, although Paige didn't attack her, she just defended Mona when Alison was teasing her. I don't care what she thinks anymore, I mean, I love her, because she's been a friend of mine for as long as I can remember, but I'm tired of playing games.

"I know she's your friend, but Satan is looking daggers at me," Paige tells me grinning.

"Yeah, she is. But don't worry, these last days she's acting weird. I will talk to her, she thinks you are her enemy and that you want to destroy her," I tell her raising my eyebrows.

"What?" Paige says loudly and shocked about what I've just said. "I just told her what everybody in this school thinks about her disgusting comments and her bullying methods. The problem is that her victims don't dare to tell her what they really think of her heinous behaviour because they are afraid of her. She's a bitch, and she enjoys tormenting them, but I won't have her acting like that, not in front of me," she says really pissed off.

"Well… Maybe you're right," I say not knowing how to defend my 'friend'.

It's the first time I see her so furious and beside herself, because she's always very nice and polite. Actually, I am glad Paige confronted Alison, someone needs to stop her when she's hurting people. I liked Paige since the day we met, but I think I like her even more now. Her response was kind of sexy.

"I got to go, but I'll see you in the natatorium after this class, right?" I ask her.

"Sure. Prepare to get your ass kicked!" She chuckles.

"Good luck with that!" I tell her laughing. "Paige…" I say while I hold her arm when she's leaving. "Maybe we could grab a coffee after practice."

"Yeah, I'd love that. See you later!" She says waving at me.

Alison is still staring at us, she can't even hide her anger. When Paige leaves and I am closing my locker room she approaches me with an evil expression in her face.

"So… Is 'No neck' your new girlfriend?" She says sarcastically.

"What are talking about? She's nice, you should make an effort to get to know her, Ali," I answer.

"You know perfectly well what I am talking about. I know your little secret, Emily. Don't worry, your secret is save with me, but you should know I like boys."

"You are wrong about me, Ali. I'm not…" I can't say the actual word. "I have a boyfriend, what happened the other day was nothing. I mean, I acted on impulse, it was stupid, I don't know why I did that, but I can assure you I'm not… You know," I say speaking quietly.

"I think I know why you did it, I know I am irresistible, Em," she says grinning. "You kissed me TWICE, Em," she says lowering her voice. "Well, if you want to pretend you like boys, I don't mind. Does 'No neck' know your secret?" she says smiling.

"Stop it, Alison. I don't want to talk about it," I say.

"Okay, give 'No Neck' my regards, will you?" She says laughing loudly.

**Paige's POV**

I walk into the classroom and I leave my bag on my desk. The teacher is not here, so I take my cellphone from the bag and I see I've got two texts:

**Paige, the Coach told me you've got a meet this weekend, are you anchoring?**

**Didn't you see my text? Come home after practice, the pool is waiting for you. You got to practice harder to be the best swimmer in the team. I love you, honey.**

_I love you?_ I think to myself after taking a deep breath.

**Hi, dad. Tomorrow I have an exam, so I have to study. I will get home for dinner. See you later. **I press the send button and I try to forget about his stupid texts. I know lying is not okay, but I won't go home to swim some laps when I can be with Emily. No way!

As for my father, I am sick of him, I don't know why he doesn't understand that Emily is a better swimmer than I am. I mean, I've been in the team for a few weeks now, it's almost impossible to be the anchor in the upcoming meet. He thinks I am Superwoman, but I can't stand his obsession, he's putting pressure on me, and it won't work. I sit down on my chair and I try to calm down thinking about Emily and her beautiful smile. I know I don't have a chance with her, she has a boyfriend, she doesn't like girls, but she wants to have a coffee with me, so I am excited about it. I look at the door and I see Alison is walking into the classroom. "Okay, not now, please," I think to myself.

"Are you deaf, idiot? Didn't you hear what I told you about Emily?" She asks coming up to me.

"Can you give me one good and convincing reason why you are so mean to me?" I ask her, although I know she won't give me a logical answer.

"I just hate you, plain and simple. And I don't want you to talk to Emily, I told you so the other day and you ignored me. Today I saw you two laughing and having a great time. Stop it, she's my friend and I don't want her to become a loser, you know it's contagious," she adds with a hate face.

"She's my teammate, I can't ignore her. Besides, who are you to tell me what I should do with my life? Get lost!" I tell her frowning.

"You don't know what I'm capable of, McCullers. I'm warning you! I don't want you to be near Emily, I don't care if you are on the same team. Figure it out."

"Or what? You are gonna call the police? You are going to hit me? If so wear high heels, dwarf." I tell her pissed off.

"I would be scared if I were you, 'No neck'," she tells me defiantly while she goes to sit down on the desk next to the window.

I am not scared, but I am sick of her bullshit. She's been saying stupid things to me everyday since the Mona incident happened. I have a lot going on in my life, my father, Emily, my sexuality… and I don't want to have to deal with her too. I hope this class is not as boring as the one before it, because I am willing to see Emily in the natatorium, and I am excited about us going to have a coffee, so I concentrate on what the teacher is saying. Maybe if I pay attention time will go by faster.

**Emily's POV**

I look at my watch impatiently over and over again, the class is almost finished.

I don't know if the teacher saw me looking at the watch nervously, but if she did, it has worked, because she decides to stop the class, we will continue learning the exciting

quadratic equations tomorrow. I get my bag and I am off the natatorium when I bump into Ben.

"Hey, what's the rush?" Ben asks leaning in for a kiss.

I take a step back and he looks at me obviously furious.

"What's wrong? Why didn't you kiss me?" he asks frowning.

"I have practice now, so, I don't want to be late," I answer although it's not so late. I don't think telling him that I am willing to be with another person would be okay.

"Do you want to meet me after practice? I miss you," he adds, staring at me.

"Actually I have plans, I am having a coffee with a friend. What about tomorrow?" I ask nicely, although I don't want to meet him.

"Who is that friend? We don't do anything together anymore, Emily. You are my girlfriend, I want to spend time with you, but you obviously don't," he says frowning.

"I'm sorry, Ben, but I won't change my plans. Tomorrow I'm free…" I add when he interrupts me.

"Bullshit! Go with your friend, I don't care, Emily," he shouts at me. In that exact moment I see Paige is in the hall looking at us. When Ben is gone she approaches me.

"Hey, I saw you two fighting, are you okay, Em?" she asks nicely.

"Yeah, I'm fine. He's a jerk, he gets angry over the slightest thing," I tell her. I am not disappointed because of the fight with Ben, I am sad because I don't want to live a lie.

"What happened?"

"He wanted to meet me after practice, I told him I had plans. It's not big deal, I mean, do you think he had the right to get angry?" I ask him raising my eyebrows.

"Well… he's your boyfriend, he wants to spend time with you, it's logical," she adds.

"Honestly I prefer to spend time with you."

"Okay, it's an honor," she smiles at me. "But put yourself in his shoes, he loves you, and you've been avoiding him."

"You don't know him, he is not perfect, and I've got a lot of things going on in my life, I have problems too. I could use a friend," I tell her with a sad expression in my face.

"I don't have any friends, so I don't know if I meet the requirements for a good friendship," she says smiling.

"Of course you have a friend, Paige. And you are great, by the way. Thank you," I say while I hug her tightly. I knew she would smell great, I don't want to stop hugging. It's not just the hug, I feel great when I am with her. I mean, my other friends are great to talk to too, but talking to her it's very easy, she makes me feel comfortable. I think I am starting to fall in love with her, because now I'm not all day thinking about Alison, I want to be all day with her. Sadly it won't happen, she's not gay, so I am happy if she wants to be my friend.

At this very instant Alison is leaving the classroom and she sees us. She is not happy, but instead of saying something hurtful she looks at Paige disapprovingly and continues walking.

"Yeah, I was hugging her even if you told me not to come near her. Do you have a problem?" Paige says frowning.

"I warned you, 'No neck'. It's on," she adds raising her fingers and separating them to make the sign of victory.

…

**Paige's POV**

After a great practice I get dressed so I can meet Emily, who is already waiting outside the locker room. I usually stay in the pool longer than my teammates after the practice is finished. I love swimming some laps calmly, I enjoy the water slightly hitting my face. But this happy moment only happens when I'm not being under the pressure of my father, and it's kind of relaxing,

"I'm sorry about my lateness, you know my everyday ritual," I say shyly.

"It's okay, I was playing Angry Birds," she smiles. "Besides, you took a long time to get dressed, but you look very nice. I love your t-shirt, it fits you perfectly, well… You have a perfect body, so… that's easy," she says while I blush.

"Thank you, you look nice too," I add shyly while I stare at the floor.

We get in Emily's car and we go to the cafeteria that is next to my house. We walk into it and we sit down on the only table that is not occupied.

"So… are you feeling better?" I ask her looking at her eyes.

"Yeah, I started feeling better right after talking to you. But I've got a lot of things in my mind, and that's not healthy,"

"I guess you are talking about Ben. Am I right?"

"Yeah, but that's the least of my worries. I mean, I don't love him, I am not attracted to him, so I am thinking about breaking up. It's not fair for him," she adds.

"Yes, if you feel that way, you should break up with him," I nod.

"What about you? Is there anybody in your heart?" she asks me smiling.

"No, there isn't. I mean, maybe there is, but I am not sure about it. It's difficult," I answer shyly.

"Are you blushing? I thought you were a badass, but you are a little bit shy, McCullers," she says smirking. "That's a shame, because you are a catch: nice, funny, attractive…"

"I am smart too, don't forget that, Fields. But I'm not the philosophical type, I guess you are the only one in here who likes that bullshit," I chuckle.

"So, what's the problem?" She asks with a serious face.

"I've dated some guys, but I guess I didn't choose well, it didn't feel right. I don't know, I guess I haven't met 'the one', you know."

"Do you believe in that stupid theory? Do you really think there's someone out there who is your soulmate?" she asks surprised.

"I don't know, it's possible. Hope is the last thing you lose." I smile at her, she didn't expect me to make the soulmate remark.

"I'm not so sure, but you are adorable, you won't have a problem finding your 'soulmate'," she nods and smiles at me.

We spend almost three hours talking and laughing. I really like Emily, I am glad she's in my life, because she's the only friend I have and I can talk to her about anything. Well… not anything, I mean, I can't tell her I have a crush on her, but I am happy that I've got someone to call to if I am not feeling well. When we leave the cafeteria is almost 8 pm, Emily gives me a ride home and we hug each other after saying goodbye. It's been a fantastic day, so I don't care if my parents are angry with me for being late for dinner. Besides, they think I've been studying in the library for my calculus exam, so I've got a convincing excuse. When I open the door they are both looking at me and crossing their arms, but I can see they are not really annoyed, so we have dinner and I go to bed with a wide smile in my face.

The next morning I wake up feeling very happy, Emily has that effect on me. I walk my way in the school's hall and I go directly to my locker. When I open it I see an envelope falling to the floor. What the hell is this?

I bend down to pick it, and when I have it in my hands I see it says 'From Emily to Paige'.

Okay, this is definitely a surprise. Why did she write a letter when she could talk directly to me? What does it say? I put the letter in my right pocket, I close the locker and I make my way to the classroom where I will read the letter. Today I won't be paying any attention to my teacher, I've got more important things to read.

**To be continued…**


	3. Chapter 3: The letter

**Hi, guys! Here's another chapter. Thank you for your comments, they make me so happy. **

**Psyro: I haven't decided yet if it's gonna be an AU, but I write for you guys, so you can decide what you wanna read in the next chapters. Let me know, don't be shy! xD**

**lemonfiz1: Thank you!**

**lina-sama28: ¡Muchas gracias! Yeah, I like badass Paige too, but now you're going to see another side of her. Drama is coming!**

**Paige's POV**

I walk into the classroom with my hand inside my pocket, I want to protect the letter Emily wrote me. I don't know what it says, but I don't want to lose it, it may be something serious. Anyway, I sit down in my chair and I take her letter out of my pocket, my hands are shaking, I'm very nervous. What is wrong with me? I mean, maybe it's just a prank, or it could be an invitation to a party. It's time to find out what the hell is this about, so I open it with my shaky hands and I start reading.

_I don't know why I'm doing this, but I think it's the only way I can be open about my feelings in this moment. I started to have these feelings from the very moment I met you, but I tried to ignore them to make my life easier. However I can't stop thinking about you when I see you walking down the school's halls or when I go to swimming practice and you look at me with that perfect smile. These last days I couldn't concentrate on anything, I can't think about anything but you, you are even in my dreams. Yesterday I dreamt that you were sitting next to me in my bed, holding me while you kissed me passionately, and this is not the first time. I know I have a boyfriend, but I'm pretty sure I am falling in love with you, you can't deny we have a connection. I know that this letter could jeopardize our friendship, but I can't hide it anymore, I'm sick of all the lies. I am nott brave enough to tell you all these things face to face, but I hope you can understand what I'm going through. I didn't even have the courage to talk about it to my friends, or my family, but I am planning to be honest about all this stuff that is going on my mind. I am so embarrassed right now, I know you don't feel the same way about me, you are obviously not into girls, so I will understand if you just wanna be my friend. But I want to know what you think about it, I don't want to lose a friend, so I'd appreciate if you wrote a letter to let me know if you want to speak to me after this embarrassing confession. Don't send me an e-mail or a text, my boyfriend or my friends could see it and I'm not prepared to deal with that yet. Could you leave your letter under the sign outside the cafeteria that is next to the school? Answer as soon as possible, please._

_XOXOXO_

"What… the… fuck… is… this? Is this real life?" I think to myself while I am looking at the letter paralized and with my eyes and mouth widely opened.

I can't believe what I've just read. Is she really gay? Am I dreaming? I have to pinch myself to make sure I am not having the best dream I could imagine.

"Is everything okay, Miss McCullers? I can see you are very interested reading that paper you have on your desk. Am I boring you? I think everybody in this room is eager to know what is more interesting than the Spanish Inquisition and its tortures. Tell us what you were reading, it's obviously very surprising, you look so shaken," the teacher says looking at me very angry and approaching to my desk.

"Miss Johnson, can I ask you question?" Hanna asks when the teacher is almost getting to my desk.

"Yes, of course. I know the Spanish Inquisition is really hard to understand. What is your question?" she says smiling at her.

I seize this opportunity to hide the letter in my bag and I take a book in case she doesn't forget about my early distraction.

"Well… It's not about that Spanish Premonition. I can't stop thinking about your skirt, it's super cool. I am a huge fan of retro clothes, but it's almost impossible to find cute skirts on this seedy town. Did you buy it online?" Hanna asks with a huge smile in her face.

"I am sick of your stupid questions. When are you going to grow up?" the teacher yells at Hanna. Then she looks at me and approaches my desk while she gives me a murderous look.

"So… What were you reading, Miss McCullers? Was it a note? We want to know every little detail about your life," she says with an evil smile.

"No, I was reading Game of Thrones. I'm sorry, but I am hooked on this book and I can't stop reading, last night I was reading until 2 am," I say showing her my book. "You know, 'Winter is coming'… Do you know what I'm talking about? By the way, I am team Targaryen, mother of dragons for the win," I say making an okay sign with my thumb raised.

"Enough!" she yells moving her arms uncontrollably. She is beside herself, I shouldn't have said that, Hanna and I annoyed her with our stupid remarks.

"You two, go to the principal's office, now! Get the hell out of here!"

I get my bag and my books and I leave the room. I am walking down the halls when I hear Hanna calling me.

"Hey! You are Paige, right?" she asks smiling at me.

"Yes, indeed. If I'm not wrong your name is Hanna, am I right?" I ask her nicely.

"Yeah, you are that swimmer that Emily keeps talking about. She says you are very nice and that you are helping her a lot with you know, Ben."

"Sure, I helped her so much that she's dumpng him because she wants to be with me, but you are clueless," I think to myself.

"She's having a hard time, I'm trying to be a good friend and support her decisions," I add. "By the way, thank you for distracting the teacher's attention so I could hide what I was really reading. You saved my life," I nod smiling at her.

"No problem, you are Emily's friend, so I thought you deserved my help. What were you reading? You looked as if you had seen a ghost," she chuckles.

"Well… It was nothing. Someone left a letter in my locker, and I didn't expect that, that's all."

"It's the first time we speak, so I understand you don't want to talk about your personal life. It's okay," she says nicely.

"Thank you, it was very nice of you. I owe you one," I add. "Why did you make that question, though? You could have distracted her with something related to History," I laugh loudly.

"I didn't really want to annoy her, I was being serious, that skirt is fucking great. I won't stop until I find out where the hell she bought it," she laughs. "What about you? Winter is coming, mother of dragons…Freak!" she roars with laughter.

"Yeah, you are right. But I am huge fan, I couldn't help saying that."

Suddenly the principal's office door opens and he looks daggers at us. This is not going to end well, I can feel it. If they call my father, I am screwed.

**Emily's POV**

"Why is Hanna so late? Didn't we say we will meet here after class?" I ask Spencer frowning. I am a little bit worried, Hanna is a very punctual person and she always texts if she is gonna be late.

"Relax, Em! I'm sure she will be here soon," she assures looking at me.

I admit sometimes I am a little bit paranoid, but this is really odd. I look around and I see Hanna is waving at me while she goes down the school entrance stairs.

"She's coming, Spence," I tell her breathing a sigh of relief.

"Hi, girls, I'm sorry, I had a little problem," she says snorting.

"What happened? What did you do this time, troublemaker?" Spencer asks shaking her head.

"I was at the principal's office. It's a long story. I wanted to distract Miss Johnson to help a girl in my class and I asked her about her skirt. I know I made a mistake, but I want that friggin skirt!" She says tapping the table.

"You are crazy," I say loughing loudly. "Who is that girl you helped? I hope she's fine, because she got you into big trouble."

"That girl from your swimming team, Paige McCullers. Miss Sharon was trying to read out loud something personal she was reading. I distracted her so Paige could hide it, but I didn't pick well my question. To sum up… We ended up in the principal's office. She's hilarious, she told the teacher that she was addicted to Game of Thrones and that she couldn't stop reading the book in class. Then she mentioned something about 'Winter is coming' and that she was a huge fan of the House Targaryen and the mother of dragons," Hanna says while she bursts out laughing.

I can't help laughing when I hear Hanna speaking about Paige. She's so adorable, I love her even more after what she told the teacher. I am curious, what was she reading that was so important she didn't want anybody to see? I will try getting the truth out of her, that's for sure. I love that she is so sweet and supportive when she is alone with me, but I like her even more when she is a badass. I am so into her that I think I am literally drooling over her although she's not present.

"Are we talking about that tall girl who is always sitting alone in the cafeteria. The one who Alison calls 'No neck'," Spencer says while she regrets having said that awful nickname.

"Don't call her that, she's a very nice girl, you should get to know her. You'd like her, she reminds me of you," I say looking at Spencer with a serious face.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you, Em. I'd love to get to know her, you obviously like her and Hanna likes her too, so… I don't care what Alison thinks, lately she's being a pain in the ass," she says frowning.

"What did the principal tell you?" I ask a little bit worried about them.

"Bad news. We've been suspended for three days, and Paige won't be able to swim in the meet you have this weekend," Hanna adds looking slightly sad.

"Whaaaaat? Are you serious? We need her so bad in the upcoming meet, the coach is going to be so pissed off at her," I say frustrated.

I am not angry just because we need her in order to win the meet, I just want to spend time with her. My feelings for her are even stronger than what I felt about Alison, it's like I'm addicted to her.

"Oh, thank you for your support, don't worry about me, Em. My mom is going to kill me, but it's okay," she says frowning.

"I'm sorry, Hanna," I say holding her hand.

"I can't forget your comment about the skirt. Seriously, I would pay to see that," Spencer says laughing loudly.

**Paige's POV**

Shit! I am suspended for three days. I know my father will disown me when he gets that call from the principal. He was obsessed about me anchoring the meet, and I screwed it. I open the library door and I walk inside, I sit down in one of the empty desks and I take the letter out of my pocket. I grab a sheet of paper and I start writing the letter with good handwriting, I want to make a very good impression on her.

_You know I am a girl of few words, so I will go straight (no pun intended, xD) to the point. You are so wrong, Em. I have the same feelings for you, this is like a dream come true. I've been wanting to kiss you since the day I met you, but I was afraid of your rejection, and I didn't want to lose the only friend I have in my life. I don't know what else to say, I guess I am so happy because this is really happening that I am speechless. I'd like to have a face-to-face conversation with you, we need to talk about this. Call me when you get this, please. XOXO_

I insert the letter into the envelope, I get all my things and I leave the library. Just when I am grabbing the bike to leave the letter in the sign Emily told me I hear my cell ringing. It's my dad, I suppose he's found out about my problem with Miss Sharon and he's calling to tell me off because I am ruining my life. I don't want to deal with his overly dramatic attitude, now I am concentrated on trying to be happy for the first day of my life.

I pedal quickly and I get to the cafeteria, it's next to the school so I get there in five minutes. I leave the envelope under the sign and when I am about to leave I see Alison approaches me and she takes the envelope away from me.

"No, no, no, no!" I say desperately and trying to get back my precious letter.

"Do you want me to deliver this to Emily? I probably should since I was the one who wrote it to you," she says showing me that evil smile. "Should I open it here or should I just forward it to daddy? Is he still that deacon at the church?" she says knowing that I am defenceless.

"Give it to me!" I say angrily.

"Oooh… Why should I? I'd much rather watch your daddy blow up when he finds out you want to slid…" she tells me with that bitchy look I hate so much.

"Give it to me!" I yell at her. I am so pissed off right now. "Think again, Pigskin, I own you now," she tells me looking at me defiantly.

She gets in the car, another blonde girl is sitting in the driver seat, she's waiting for her. I am devastated, I can't believe she played me and I fell into the trap, I am stupid. Besides, she obviously knows about my scars too, so she knows all my secrets. Fuck! What am I going to do now? She knows I have feelings for Emily and she also knows I cut myself. How could I be so stupid? Emily is not into me, she won't ever like me that way. Things would be easier if I disappeared.

When I get home and I open the door I know my parents will be there waiting for me, but I don't want to deal with them. I've been crying all the way home, my eyes are red after all the crying and I look like shit. When I step inside my house I see them looking at me angrily.

"What the hell is wrong with you? You've been expelled because you are an idiot, don't you see what you just did? The coach called home and told me that you won't be attending the meet, of course," my father yells at me. My mother is next to him, she's clearly mad, but I see she nods at me when she sees me crying with my eyes really red and my mascara running down my sad eyes.

"I am really sorry, it won't happen again, I promise, dad," I say sobbing and staring at the floor while another tear is running down my face. "Can I go to my room, please? I am not feeling well," I add.

"So talking about this right now is no good for you. Sure, when would be the most convenient time for you?" my dad says sarcastically.

"Nick, she knows she made a mistake. She's feeling remorse for what she has done. Let her go to her bedroom, she's tired," my mother tells him caressing his shoulder.

"You are lucky your mother is a decent human being. We will talk tomorrow. Get out of my sight!" he yells at me.

"Thank you," I add while I walk upstairs not looking at them.

I lay on my bed and I start crying again. It's funny, yesterday was the best day of my life and today is being a total disaster. I wish I could close my eyes and never wake up. All of a sudden my cellphone vibrates twice, that means I got two texts.

"**Don't speak to Emily, don't look at her, or the whole school will know your two little secrets, Pigskin. I told you not to provoke me or there would be consequences. See you soon, No neck. XO"**

"Fucking bitch, I hate her!" I think to myself.

"**Hey, Paigey! I'm so sorry you won't be in the meet. Hanna told me what happened earlier. I am still laughing my head off at your Targaryen comment. You are a dork, but I love you."**

I am totally devastated, but I can't help smiling slightly when I read her text.


	4. Chapter 4: All you need is chickpeas

**Hi, guys! Here's another chapter. Thank you for your comments, they make me very happy.**

**Psyro: I love it! Thank you for your comment, I think I will develop that storyline. It will be very interesting to see Alison find out about them.**

**HOOBASTOO: Thank you!**

**Guest (Perfect): I am glad you are liking it. Writing about Alison and her bitchiness is kind of fun. xD**

**Paige's POV**

Next morning I wake up when a ray of light goes through my bedroom window and hits my face. My head is aching a little bit and I can't almost open my eyes, I guess I cried so much that my eyes don't obey my brain. I've been suspended three days and the principal forbid me to go to the meet with my swimming team, so I don't know what I'm going to do until the suspension is over. Honestly, I'd rather close my eyes and stay in bed till Monday morning, but I suppose my father has other plans for me, and I won't like them, that's for sure.

I get up and I make my way to the bathroom, I don't want to deal with my parents yet. I look in the mirror and I realize that I have mascara all over my face and my hair is very untidy. If I died my hair green I could be the Joker from Batman, that's how beautiful I look. I think I could use a bath, if I go to have breakfast looking like this I could scare my parents to death. After taking a long shower I look in the mirror again, my eyes are still red, but now my face is more presentable. I put on my black jeans and a white V-neck t-shirt and I go downstairs.

"Morning," I say looking at my mom. I don't want to exchange looks with my father.

"Good morning, honey!" my mom says nicely. She's like a little angel, I made a mistake and she is smiling at me like it never had happened. She knows that I am devastated and that I am really sorry about my bad attitude, so she's decided to forgive me. I mean, no matter what I do, she's always supportive. She is the most forgiving person I know, that's why I love her so much.

As for my father he mumbles to himself and keeps reading the newspaper not raising his head.

"So, what are you doing today?" my mother asks looking at me.

"Are you serious? Do you think she should have a three day vacation? No way!" my father yells leaving the newspaper on the table.

"I didn't mean that, Nick," my mother adds frowning.

"She will spend all day swimming, studying and helping you. You are grounded, no TV and no internet. And of course no going out or reading those damn books!" he yells. He takes his briefcase and leaves the house slamming the door.

No going out? I don't have any friends, so that punishment doesn't make any sense. I mean, Emily was my only friend, and now I can't talk to her if I don't want Alison to bring my darkest secrets to light.

I pour milk into the bowl of cereal and I sit down next to my mother. When I am about to get the spoon I feel a tear running down my cheek. I know I made a mistake, but my father is an asshole. They think I am sad because of what happened yesterday in the principal's office, but they don't know that I am terrified of Alison and her evil plans. I am not sure what to do about that, but I am sick of being miserable. I need some drastic changes in my life.

"Why are you crying, honey?" my mother asks while she caresses my shoulder.

"It's nothing, don't worry, mom. Do you ever have those days when you cry over everything? Well, it's one of those days," I say trying to hold my tears.

"Don't be upset because of dad, you know he tends to overdramatize things. You have to be patient, you just need to wait until he's cooled down," she adds handing me a tissue.

"Thank you, mom. Do you know you are the best mother I could have?" I tell her smiling slightly.

"Yeah, I am awesome," she says laughing. "So, I have to go the supermarket, will you come with me?" she asks with a wide smile in her face.

"Yeah, of course," I nod.

**Emily's POV**

Hanna and Paige are not coming today to school, and I already miss them. I miss Paige more, I mean, I love Hanna, but it's not the same feeling. Besides, I called Hanna this morning and she is having the best day ever, she was in the mall while we are attending these boring classes. However, Paige doesn't pick up my calls, I suppose she's not allowed to use her cell and that's why she is ignoring me. I know I shouldn't call her so many times, I am behaving like a stalker, but I don't mind, I want to hear her voice and make sure that she's okay. This is my sixth call and she is not answering, so I decide to send her a text.

**Hey, Paigey! Are you okay? I just want to know if everything is fine. I guess you are grounded, but I'm a little bit worried about you. Answer asap, please. I miss you. XOXO**

My cellphone vibrates immediately. It's a text from Paige. I blush even before reading it.

**I'm okay. Don't call, please.**

Wow! She's clearly not okay. I know she doesn't like sending long texts, but this is not like her. Something is going on in her house, so I won't desist until I know what is exactly happening. When I'm about to keep my cellphone in my pocket I hear Alison's voice.

"Hey, gorgeous! What's up?" she says smiling.

"What do you want, Alison?" I say, rudely.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Why so much hate, Em? Are you having one of those days? You have to let steam off. I can help you with that, you know what I mean," she says smirking and holding my arm.

"Take your hands off me. I know you are playing me, but this is over, I am not going to fall into the trap," I say taking a step back.

"So at last you admit that you play for the other team," she smirks.

"You disgust me! I don't know how I could have all those feelings…" I say and stop speaking when I see everybody is looking at us. We are yelling and I hadn't notice.

"Whatever, Em. I know you love me, don't fool yourself," she adds showing that evil smile. "By the way, how is Pigskin holding up? I didn't know she had the guts to be an unruly girl."

"Who are you talking about? Who is Pigskin?" I ask frowning.

"Your stupid teammate, aka No neck," she says.

"Why are you calling her Pigskin, what does it mean?" I say furiously and not trying not to raise my voice.

"I guess you don't know her that well. She has unhealthy habits, you know," she says lowering her voice and smiling.

"What are you talking about? You are full of shit. Unlike you, she's a good friend, she's nice and she cares about me," I add.

"Forget about that. I don't think she will be talking to you in a long time, so get used to it," she affirms.

"She has only been suspended for three days, she'll be back on Monday," I reply.

"Well… we'll see what happens on Monday," she says while she walks away staring at me.

What is she talking about? And why did she call her Pigskin? What does it mean and why did she say that she has unhealthy habits? She's messing with my head, Paige clearly has no secrets.

**Paige's POV**

"It's getting late, get in the car, Paige," my mom shouts at me.

"I'm coming, mom," I yell before I close the door and get in my mom's Jeep.

"So, are you ready?" she asks smiling at me.

"Of course, we are just going to the supermarket, we are not doing something life changing," I tell her.

"Well, I really wanted to have a serious talk with you, honey. That's why I invited you to come with me," she says completely straightfaced.

"Is it about what happened yesterday? I told you it was nothing, I was reading a book instead of paying attention to the class and the teacher got mad when I answered her back. That's it," I add.

"Are you telling me that she got mad because you were reading a book? I don't buy it, Paige. What were you really doing?" she asks hesitantly.

"Yes, it was just a book, mom. I made a mistake when I said some stupid things about it and the teacher got furious. You know the rest of the story," I say while I turn on the radio.

My mother is not satisfied with my answer, she knows something is wrong and she wants convincing answers, so she turns off the radio and stares at me.

"I know you are going through a lot, but I am not really sure about what is really happening in your life. I know your father is too demanding with you, you know, swimming and school, but I don't think that's the real problem. I mean, you have no friends, you stay home on weekends and not so very long ago you…" she says until she gets to the part I hate so much. "Those marks in your thighs and in your arms, Paige…" she continues saying trying not to cry.

"Mom, I swear it won't happen again, it's over, it was stupid. At that moment I was having a lot of personal issues and that self-destructive behaviour felt good. Don't worry, I overcame my dark demons. Don't cry, please," I tell her while I hug her tightly.

"Then, what is going on right now? I know you are not feeling okay, just tell me so I can help you, honey. Do you have problems making friends? I don't get it, you are adorable," she tells me caressing my cheeks.

"I try hard to get along with others, but there must be something wrong with me, because it never seems to work. I suppose I don't fit in at school," I admit, with a sad expression in my face.

"There's nothing wrong with you, I am sure you'll meet people who appreciate your kindness. You just got to be yourself, don't give up, honey," she adds holding my hand.

I think I've already met that person, but Alison is sabotaging that relationship, so it's worthless.

"Thank you for being so nice, but it's not that easy. I'm sick of people, I don't know why they are so mean. I'm getting desperate, I'm alone, mom," I say crying inconsolably.

"You're not alone, Paige. You got to be strong, everything is gonna be fine. Is there something else you want to tell me, dear? You know you can tell me anything, don't be afraid."

I think now is the time to be strong, I got to tell her the truth. I want to change my life and this is the first step towards being true to myself.

"I think I am… I like…" I start saying when she interrupts me.

"Gay?" she asks raising her eyebrows.

"I… Yes, I am. Don't be mad, please." I say lowering my voice and crying.

"What a relief! For a moment I thought you killed someone," she says laughing.

"Whaaaaat?" Are you okay with…? I continue saying when she interrupts me again.

"I don't care, honey. I love you, no matter what. I will always love you, I just want you to be happy. I'm glad you finally decided to say what was making you miserable. Don't you feel better now?" she asks while she hugs me and caresses my back.

"Yeah, I feel better, but I didn't expect this reaction. I know you are very tolerant, but I was afraid you were going to stop talking to me," I admit.

"Don't be silly, you can't get rid of me that easily," she laughs. "Do you still want to go shopping?"

"Sure. Thank you, mom. And don't tell dad yet, please." I tell her. She nods and smiles at me. "Did I already tell you are the best mom ever?" I say with a wide smile in my face.

**Emily's POV**

"Hey, Em! Are you okay?" Spencer asks me when I am leaving the library.

"Hi. Yes, I'm fine. Why are you asking?"

"I heard about your fight with Alison. What did she do this time?" she asks.

"I don't know what is wrong with her but she's being a pain in the ass. And she's like obsessed with Paige McCullers. I confronted her because I like Paige, and she is telling me lies about her. I can't stand her anymore!" I say frowning.

"Why is Alison attacking her? I don't get it, she's known her for like four days and now she is her worse enemy. I think Alison is hiding something, it doesn't make any sense," she nods.

"I really don't care. I just want to talk to Paige, she's grounded and she doesn't pick up my calls. She told me to stop calling, but I want to make sure she's fine."

"Then go to her house, I am pretty sure she would appreciate if you would visit her. She must be very bored if she is on house arrest," she says raising her eyebrows.

"It's not that easy. Her father is at home and he would kill her if someone goes to visit her. I mean, her father is very authoritarian and I don't want to get her into trouble."

"We'll figure it out. I have a paper due tomorrow, so I won't be able to go with you, but I'm sure Hanna has no plans. I'll convince her to go with you. Trust me, everything is going to be okay," she says nicely.

I don't need Hanna to come with me, I am not a little girl, but Spence means well, so I nod and thank her for her help. Besides, if her parents are at home it's worthless to go there, I don't understand how Hanna could help me. I grab my cell and I text Paige:

**Hi! How are you, Paigey? Are your parents at home? I want to see you.**

"**Don't come, please. My father is here. He'll kill me," **she answers.

She's being rude, again. I won't give in, I want to see her beautiful face, I am going, whether her father likes it or not. I am not sure if Hanna's presence is going to help, though. Anyway, let's see what happens. Five minutes later I receive a text from Hanna.

**I'm so excited, Em! Meet me in 30 minutes outside Paige's house. This is gonna be fucking great!**

Why is she so excited? I love that she gets thrilled about nothing.

20 minutes later I am standing outside Paige's house. I look at her bedroom window but I don't see her. Suddenly I hear Hanna's cheerful voice.

"Hi, stranger! Are you ready?" she asks smiling at me.

What the hell? She's wearing a black suit, geeky glasses and she's got a briefcase in her hand.

"Who are you and where is my friend Hanna? Today it's not Halloween," I say laughing loudly.

"I am keeping Spencer's action plan on track, Em. I am being a professional," she giggles.

"What are you talking about? Get straight to the point, please, I don't understand what is going on. I just wanted to see Paige," I say frowning.

"That's why I'm here, my friend. Spencer told me that today I could be an actress, obviously I accepted. I only have to distract Paige's father while you sneak into the house and speak with her. Easy peasy," she adds.

"And what about that sign you have in your other hand?" I ask her.

"I designed this sign. Do you like it?" she says showing it to me.

"It says 'WE HAVE A PLAN'. You're really good!" I say smiling at her.

"Well, I also brought some chickpeas," she chuckles. "We will throw these chickpeas at her bedroom window and we will show her the sign so she knows what we're doing. It's fucking genius," she says nodding with her eyes wide open.

I have to admit the plan is good, but I don't know if it will work. I prefer not to think about it, so I grab Hanna's arm and I take her to the front yard.

"Let the party begin!" I think to myself.

**To be continued…**


	5. Chapter 5: Rescue team

**Hi, guys! Thanks for the reviews, favourites and follows. I love writing this fan fic and I am glad you like it. Thank you all!**

**I've realized I forgot about Aria, so maybe I'll try to involve her in the story. xD By the way, I am not a native English speaker, so I apologize in advance for my grammar mistakes. Enjoy!**

**Literarylesbian37: Hanna is awesome, I love her character, she's hilarious. That's why I want her to interact with Paige in the show.**

**Degrassi21: Thank you! I am glad you like it.**

**ov4arenko: Paige's mom rules. :D**

**Paige's POV**

My first day on home detention was not as bad as I expected. I didn't have to go to school, I didn't wake up until 9 o'clock and I came out to my mother and she was really supportive. Well, my father yelled at me this morning, but I'm used to that kind of behavior, he's never happy with my academic and swimming achievements, so it was like any other day, my father just acted like an asshole. I am very happy because of my mother's acceptance, it was hard to say the words, but I won't complain, she took the news very well. As for my father, I don't know when I'll tell him about my sexuality, but it's got to be done as soon as possible, at this point there's no going back. Besides, I need to come clean about all my secrets, it's the only way I can defeat Alison and her demonic schemes. The only thing I'm not so sure about is how I'm going to deal with Emily. I mean, even if I come out to my father, Alison knows I love Emily, so if I decide to hang out with her and Alison sees us she'll obviously tell her that I'm into her. I'm afraid she'll stop talking to me, and I know I wouldn't overcome that. I know we're never going to be more than friends, but her friendship is very important to me, I don't want to lose the only good thing that's happening in my life. She's been calling me all day, but I didn't pick up. What if Alison took her cell and decided to call me so she can torture me even more? I won't take that risk, she's manipulative and very smart, she proved it to me with the letter that is ruining my life.

Anyway, I need a break, thinking so much must be unhealthy, so I lay down on my bed and get my iPod. I don't want to go downstairs because my mom is not at home and my father will be willing to lecture me on proper behavior and being an adult. I hope listening to music will help me relax, because I've been thinking about my problems all day and my head is gonna explode. All of a sudden I hear a noise, but I ignore it, it must be a bird or maybe my dad is watching TV. Thirty seconds later I hear the same noise again, so I stand up and go look out of my window to see what is going on. There are a bunch of chickpeas on the windowsill.

"What the fuck? Is this some kind of stupid prank?" I think to myself.

Then I look at my yard, I can't believe what my eyes are seeing, Hanna and Emily are standing right there, they're holding a sign that says "WE HAVE A PLAN". Hanna is jumping cheerfully and she's wearing a suit and geeky glasses. She also has a briefcase on her right hand, she looks like a Wall Street yuppie. Emily is standing next to her, she's smiling at me and pointing at the sign. I shake my head trying to make them understand that it's not a good decision, whatever they have in mind. I tear a sheet of paper from a notebook that's on my desk and I write: DON'T, MY DAD IS AT HOME!

I show them the paper, they say something at each other and they laugh. Then they both make the thumbs-up gesture and they disappear. I don't know what to do, if I go downstairs and they knock on the door my father will be really pissed off. I'm very nervous, not knowing what is really happening is killing me. I open my bedroom door and I hear that my father is talking to Hanna. Where the hell is Emily? What are they up to? My head needed a break from my thoughts, but this is not helping either.

**Emily's POV**

"She's not happy about this, Em," Hanna says raising her eyebrows.

"Ignore her, we're here, I came to see her. I think she's afraid of her dad, he'll be very angry if he discovers our plan, Hanna," I answer looking at her. "Anyway, you didn't tell me about your master plan… Sorry, Spencer's master plan," I giggle.

"I contributed ideas for this break-in. Actually, I'm the mastermind of 'Operation Free Phelps', deal with it!" she adds chuckling.

"Ok, tell me about it."

"It's easy. I am a recruiter from NYU who wants his daughter to join the swimming team, so I will mention a scholarship. I'll keep him busy and you'll sneak in her bedroom. I rehearsed the conversation in front of a mirror, so it's under control. Now, hide behind that bush and when I'm inside I will take him to the living room so you can go upstairs. Everything clear?" she asks while I nod.

When I am hiding behind the bush she rings the doorbell. Nick McCullers immediately opens the door and gaps at Hanna.

"Good afternoon, Mr. McCullers. I'm Anna Merin, I work at NYU and I'd like to talk about your daughter. Can I come in?" she asks.

"Couldn't she come up with a better fake name?" I think trying not to laugh.

"NYU? Seriously?" he says, looking surprised. "How old are you? You look young," he adds frowning.

"I'm 22 and I'm very well preserved. Thank you," she says smiling.

"I don't see Paige's dad's face, but I guess he's stunned," I think to myself.

"Okay, come in. Do you want coffee or water?" he asks politely.

"I'd like some water, please," Hanna answers.

When Paige's dad goes to the kitchen, Hanna approaches me.

"Go, go, hurry up!" she says lowering her voice and pointing at the stairs.

I take off like a shot and I get to the first floor at the very moment Nick McCullers comes back from the kitchen with a bottle of water.

**Paige's POV**

I prefer not to go downstairs, instead I keep looking out of the window, but I don't see Emily. All of a sudden somebody puts her hand over my mouth, but I know who she is before I turn around, I don't have to look up, her scent is unmistakable.

"Shhhhh. It's me," she says putting her index finger to my lips so I can't talk. "I wanted to see you," she adds with her sexy voice.

"My dad is downstairs, Em. If he finds out you're here I'll be grounded for life," I say desperately while I put my hands on my forehead.

"Don't be so grumpy, Paigey," she chuckles. "Hanna has the situation under control. Take a deep breath, relax," she says with a wide smile in her face.

"If I am forced to become a nun in a cloistered convent, it'll be your fault. And I'm pretty sure the nun habit won't look good on me," I say giggling.

"I can picture you as a nun," she says closing her eyes and smiling lightly.

If my life was a movie this would be a great moment to kiss her. I look at her perfect smile, she couldn't be cuter.

"Did you come here to make fun of me?" I ask smiling at her.

"No, I didn't," she says looking at me with a serious face expression. "Actually, I was worried about you, your texts were kind of weird, Paige. I know you must be mad, but I'm not the one to blame. That's why I came here, because I wanted to hear it from you," she says looking very sad.

It saddens me that she thinks I was mad at her, because I'm pissed off, but at Alison. I know my texts weren't exactly very nice, but I didn't mean to hurt her.

"I'm sorry, I'm a fool, Em. I was not having a good day and I've been taking it on you. Forgive me, please," I say ashamedly.

"Of course I forgive you, don't be silly. But I want to know why you're ignoring me, Paige," she insists.

"Okay, I'll be brief. Alison has some kind of document that proves that my dad's been trying to bribe the coach so I get to anchor all the meets. She told me that I had to stop talking to you or she'd make sure that all the school knew," I lie. I'm surprised about my imagination, but the lie is totally believable. I hate lying to her, but I'm doing it for our sake.

"I don't get it. Then, why did she tell me that you had unhealthy habits?" she asks giving me a quizzical gaze.

"Did she tell you that? Did you tell her that you were coming here?"

"Yes, she told me you had secrets and that I shouldn't trust you. And no, I didn't tell her anything about my visit, so don't worry," she says while she pats me on the shoulder.

"She's a bitch, I hate her so much. I know she's a friend of yours, but I can't stand her," I say shaking my head and sighing. She's determined to make my life a living hell, and sadly, she'll succeed in the end," I affirm looking down and striving to keep back my tears. I may start crying, and I don't want her to see me so vulnerable.

"Look at me, Paige," she says holding my chin with one hand and wiping the tears that are running down my cheeks away with the other hand. "Yeah, she's an idiot, and you don't deserve this treatment, you didn't do anything wrong. I will fix this, okay? Come here," she says before hugging me tightly.

"Please, don't do anything, Em. I will deal with her, I don't want you to be involved in this."

All of a sudden Emily takes quickly her cellphone out of her pocket. Her eyes are wide open, she is paralized.

"He's coming upstairs, Paige. I should hide somewhere, hurry up!" she says nervously.

I look around my bedroom, I'm paralyzed too. My bedroom is huge, but right now I can't think of a good place to hide. My dad is knocking on the door, we got to do something to avoid a war in my house. I point to the closet and Emily nods at me.

"I guess my mind is tricking me, because Emily being in the closet is a dream of mine," I think to myself.

Suddenly my father opens the door and it screeches, it's like a horror movie.

"Paige, I'm leaving. I'll be home for dinner. Cook, swim or do something productive, don't spend all day laying on the bed, you lazy!" he says rudely. He slams the door and I hear his steps outside my bedroom.

"Is he always so pleasant?" Emily asks while she "comes out of the closet".

"Actually, he was being nice, he didn't yell this time," I say smiling at her while I sit down on my bed.

"I missed these moments with you, you know. I know I won't see you until Monday, but I'll call you everyday, I hope you pick up, Alison is not everywhere, she's not God," she giggles. She approaches me and sits very close to me, I can even feel her breathing.

"I'll miss you too. I'll answer your calls, and I'll be the nicest girl ever," I say staring at her.

"Can I hug you, Paigey?" she says grinning.

"Sure, Em." I lean in and I wrap my arms around her. The hug is very intense, so maybe she was telling the truth when she told me that she missed me.

"Well… I have to go now, Hanna will be waiting for me. See you on Monday, okay?" she says and winks at me.

"Yeah, see you, Em. Don't forget to kick some ass in the meet," I say while waving at her. She nods and smiles at me before closing the door. I won't see her until Monday, but I'm feeling better now. I can still smell her sweet perfume, I hope it lasts forever.

**Emily's POV**

I needed to see Paige, and it felt great. She's having a hard time and she wanted to protect me, she didn't want me to speak with Alison. She couldn't be cuter, she's all I ever wanted. I'd prefer to be with her all day, but her parents are at home and it'd be very risky, so here I am, having a coffee with my friends.

"So, did my plan work?" Spencer says while she taps the table with her fingers.

"Yeah, I got to talk to her, and she told me that Alison is blackmailing her. It's something about a document about her father. I don't have the details, but we have to find it as soon as possible," I affirm.

"Okay, count me in. How about you, Hanna? Did her father believe that you worked for NYU?" Spencer asks Hanna.

"Yeah, he did, I was awesome. He told me that he'll call me, he seemed very interested."

"Tell me you didn't give her your cell phone number, please," Spencer says staring at the blonde girl.

"No, I didn't, Spence. Do you think I'm stupid? If I did he'd call me, and I don't want to get myself into trouble. I gave him your number. He might call you one of these days, Ms. Anna Merin," she says laughing loudly.

I can't help to laugh, Spencer is looking daggers at Hanna, and the blonde one is pissing herself laughing.

"Okay, so we have to find that document. I need you, guys. I was thinking that maybe Alison has it in her locker or in her bedroom.

"I can open her locker, my dad has a key that opens all lockers and I know where he keeps it, so that's a piece of cake," Aria says.

"That's very nice of you, but if your father finds out, he'll kill you," I add with a serious face expression.

"It's okay, I want to do it, Em. Remember you're my friend," she says nicely.

"I'll search her bedroom. I'll figure out something, I won't stop till I find something that we can use to use against her. I'm sick of her," Spencer says furiously.

"Thank you, guys. I really appreciate it, you're awesome. You too, Hanna," I add holding their hands.

I won't stop until Paige is safe, Alison won't mess with 'my girl'.

**To be continued…**


	6. Chapter 6: Don't hide

**Hi, guys! Thanks for your support! I hope you like this chapter, because I loved writing it. If you don't like the storyline just tell me, don't be shy, I write for you, guys. :D**

**More Aria this time, guys, she's the key to everything, xD By the way, I am not a native English speaker, so I apologize in advance for my grammar mistakes. **

**Enjoy!**

**Cici: Thank you! Why do you think Hanna knows? Hahahah. Hanna is just being a good friend, but she doesn't know Emily has feelings for Paige. The Em-Ali confrontation is coming, but it's not gonna happen in this chapter. Wait for it, it's gonna be great, you'll see…**

**Psyro: Thank you! It makes me really happy you were willing to read a new chapter. I know this is a romantic story, but I enjoy adding some humor, not everything has to be about drama and love, right?**

**Paige's POV**

The day was going as expected. I woke up, I had pancakes for breakfast, I went for a run and after that I had a quick shower. Right now I am watching TV, although there's not anything interesting on it, so I decide to read a book. Reading always relaxes me, sitting down on the bed and imagining a world that has nothing to do with my chaotic life is very comforting. The only bad thing about having a book on my hands is that when I stop reading, returning to reality is really difficult to accept.

These last two days have been really exasperating, I've been keeping my swimming practice routine in my pool and I also read a lot. The only good thing that happened was talking to Emily. She called me twice a day and we talked on the phone for almost an hour, although for me it felt like a few minutes. Today she'll be swimming in the meet, so I'll call her later this afternoon, because right now she'll be very busy. However, I can't help to send her a text, although it's very probable she won't text me back. I guess they are practicing non stop, the coach knows this meet is really important in the near future.

"**Hey, champ! How are you? Are you feeling nervous? Good luck, Em! We'll talk later."**

When I'm about to leave my phone on the desk I hear a double vibration. I look at my phone and I see that I've got two texts, one is from Emily, the other one is from an unknown number. I frown, I don't have friends, so I don't know who it might be. It's not Alison trying to torture me again, I have her cell number stored in my phone's contact list under the name "Bitch". This is my particular way to get revenge on her.

"**Hi, Paigey! I'm a little bit nervous, but I have a feeling that everything is going to be fine. We miss you so much, even the coach told us before that we needed you more than ever and that it won't be easy. You know I miss you even more than my teammates. XO"**

A smile lits my face when I read her text. I love when she calls me Paigey, and that's odd, because my mom used to call me that way when I was a kid and I really hated it. I suppose that's what love is about. I'm curious about the other text.

"**Hi, Paige, it's Aria, Emily's friend. I need to talk to you urgently. I know you're grounded and you can't leave your house, so I was thinking about meeting you there. Is four o'clock okay? Answer me asap. See ya!"**

I don't understand what is going on. I know Aria from school, she's that girl who wears weird clothes. The first time I saw her in the school it caught my attention because she was wearing a very posh pink skirt with an Iron Maiden loose t-shirt. She definitely has her own style, and I'm totally okay with that. Actually, I'm envious of her because she seems very self-confident, she doesn't care about what others think about her when she's wearing those strange outfits.

I don't know what is so urgent that she has to come to my house. I haven't even talked to her, ever. I text her back, I don't know if my parents will be okay with her visit, though.

"**Hi. Sure, I'll be here. Can you give me a clue? I'm curious. See you later."**

"**I want to talk face to face. It's not as bad as it looks, don't worry. See you!" **she answers.

I go downstairs and I see my mother is sitting in the couch watching TV and eating chocolate ice cream. I have to tell my mom about Aria. My dad is not going to be at home until dinner, so maybe I'm lucky.

"Hey, honey! Do you want ice cream? It's delicious," she says while I sit next to her.

"No, thanks, mom. You know dad forbade me to eat fatty and sugary food, I'm an athlete," I tell her with a serious expression. It's been a long time since I ate ice cream, and I miss it so much, but I shouldn't.

"Come on! Don't be silly. He's not going to know and you've been swimming all day, you need sugar," she says smiling at me and giving me her spoon.

"Okay, thanks, mom. What are you watching?" I ask her.

When I feel the chocolate explosion in my mouth I can't help to close my eyes and I enjoy the pleasure of its amazing flavor.

"It's delicious, right?" my mom chuckles. "It's a documentary about whales, so boring," she adds while she closes her eyes and pretends to be asleep.

"Mom, I have to ask you a favor. A friend of mine is coming home this afternoon, are you okay with it? I won't leave the house, she just wants to tell me something important. I guess it's something school related, like exam dates or something like that."

"Yeah, sure, why not? But she'll have to leave before dad comes home, or he'll be pissed off," she says raising her eyebrows.

"Okay, thanks, mom. I don't think she'll be here more than 30 minutes."

"Is this girl your girlfriend?" my mom says staring at me.

"No, mom!" I yell. "She's just a friend. Being gay doesn't mean I am interested in all the girls I talk to. Besides, you're the only person that knows about it, so…" I add while my mom smiles at me.

"Okay, calm down, honey. I was just curious, I had to ask. And what about that person who calls you constantly? Is the same girl who's coming?" she asks angerly.

"Wow, I didn't know you were so gossip, mom," I say laughing. "No, it's not the same girl, that's Emily, my teammate. She's been very nice to me since the first day I joined the swimming team. She's been calling me because I wanted the latest updates on the meet, that's all," I lie. I don't want my mom to know I have a crush on a straight girl. She already feels sorry for me, I don't want to give her another reason to get worried.

"Okay, no more questions. You didn't come to the living room to be interrogated," she says giggling. "But I want you to know that you can talk to me about anything, even girls. Understood?" she asks staring at me.

"I will. Thank you, mom," I tell her while hugging her tightly. "I am going upstairs, okay?" I add.

"Yeah, sure, I'll be here if you need anything," she says caressing my shoulder. I smile at her and I go to my bedroom. When I get there I remember that the meet will start in about 45 minutes, so I grab my phone and I call Emily.

"Hey! Wow! I can't believe what is really happening right now," she says loudly. "Paige McCullers is the one who decided to call me instead of waiting for me to call," she says laughing.

"Yeah, I wanted to surprise you, Em. As you can see, I'm full of surprises," I add. If I was honest with her I would have said that I was full of secrets, but that will have to wait. I need to do this step by step if I want to maintain sanity.

"This is a really nice surprise. How are you handling being holed up in your room?" she asks nicely.

"Well… I'm so bored and I'm also fed up with my dad and his idiotic comments. But I'm not going to bore you to death with my so interesting life." I say laughing shyly. "How are you holding up? Are you nervous?" I ask her.

"You don't bore me at all, you know that, Paige. I am glad you called, I needed a distraction, because the coach is putting a lot of pressure on me. She's obsessed with this meet and she thinks that the victory depends on me. It's not fair. If you weren't so rebel you'd be here and we would kick ass, but you had to be a bad girl and ruin everything," she says.

My face expression changes suddenly when I hear that she's mad at me.

"I'm sorry, I made a mistake and now you have to deal with the consequences. I'm really sorry, but I don't have a time machine, Em." I add shyly.

"I was kidding, you fool!" she says bursting into laughter. "The coach is being unfair, it's not your fault. You are so adorable, I think you are the nicest human being I know. It makes you the best person to play pranks on you."

"You take advantage of my politeness. Karma is a bitch, you know," I say laughing.

"Then you'll go to heaven, that's for sure," she adds. "Anyway, the coach is gesturing to me something, so I guess I have to go, Paige. Will you call me after the meet?" she asks.

"I don't know, you're so mean to me…" I add laughing loudly. "Of course I'll call you this afternoon, that's how good friend I am," I giggle. "Good luck Em! You know you are the best swimmer in that pool."

"Awww, thank you, Paigey. We'll talk later. Pray for me."

"I don't need to pray, you don't need divine help. Besides, I don't do such thing, but I can tell my father to pray for you, he's a deacon, so I guess his prayers count double, right?" I say laughing.

"I didn't know your father is a deacon. I'm so sorry, but the coach is getting mad. I have to go. Bye!"

"Bye, Em."

Talking to her feels so good, she makes it so easy that I could be talking to her non stop 24/7. I lie down on my bed and I close my eyes, I'm exhausted, I could use a nap, but Aria is going to be home in a few minutes, so I decide to keep reading the book until she gets home. Five minutes later my phone beeps, I hear the doorbell ring and I get really nervous, although I don't know why. I open my bedroom door and I hear my mom talking to Aria, so I go downstairs.

"There she is, my beautiful daughter," she adds pointing at me. "Come in, Aria," she says opening the front door wide open.

"Thank you, Mrs. McCullers," she says smiling at her.

"Do you want water, coffee or tea? Are you hungry?" my mom asks politely.

"No, thank you, I just had a coffee, so I'm okay," she adds not knowing where to go and looking at me.

"We can go to my room, Aria. It's upstairs, come with me," I say placing my right toe on the first step. She follows me not saying a word, I don't know if she's so shy or she's just nervous about something. It's weird, every time I see her at school she doesn't seem a shy person at all.

"I'll be here if you need anything, girls," my mom says winking at me. I am pretty sure she thinks I like Aria and she also thinks that she's the girl who I talk on the phone everyday.

When we get to my room I see that she is staring at the pictures of me as a child. She smiles slightly when she sees the one where I'm standing next to my pool wearing my pink Mickey Mouse armbands and huge goggles that completely cover my face. I think I was five years old when my dad took that picture.

"So cute. Is that you?" she says smiling at me. "I guess you don't use those armbands in the meets," she adds laughing.

"Yeah, it's me. I don't think I could make the swimming team if I needed those after so many years swimming," I giggle. "You can sit down on the bed or in the chair, it's up to you," I say pointing at my bed.

"I suppose you are willing to know why I'm here," she tells me while she sits on my bed. I sit down in front of her, but I keep my distance from her tiny body.

"Yeah, I have no idea why you are here. I hope Emily didn't ask you to check up on me, lately she's been very protective. I keep telling her that I'm fine, but she doesn't believe me."

"She's just a good friend, she cares about you. I wanted to talk to you because Emily told us that Alison was blackmailing you. She said that it was something about your father and that you were afraid of her. So…" she continues saying when I interrupt her.

"I'm not afraid of Alison, but she's trying to control my life, and I won't have her ruining my life. I know she's bullied a lot of kids and someone has to stop her. But she doesn't scare me," I say frowning.

"It's okay. I mean, I understand that you are furious, she can be evil," she says nicely. "Anyway, Emily told us to help her find the letter that Alison was using to blackmail you. Spencer went to her house and she searched through her closet and drawers, she didn't find anything. To sum up, I searched in her locker and I found this," she says while she takes an envelope out of her purse.

All of a sudden my hands are shaking and my heart stops beating for a while. It's the letter I wrote to Emily. All my feelings for her are expressed in a small sheet of paper that Aria has in her hands.

"Did you read it?" I ask stuttering and lowering my head.

"Yes, I did. I'm sorry, if I knew it was so intimate I wouldn't have, but I didn't think the letter was about you. I'm really sorry, it wasn't my intention, Paige," she says as she touches my arm trying to be nice.

"Alison fooled me, I thought Emily wrote me that letter," I say frowning. "You're the third person that knows that I'm… gay. Alison obviously knows about my disgusting lifestyle and two days ago I told my mother."

"Don't worry about me, Paige. Your secret is safe with me, I won't tell anyone. We all have secrets, and I know it's not easy, I have been there. It's up to you when and who you want to tell about it, I can't decide about your life," she tells me with a wide smile in her face. "So… How did your mom react to your announcement?"

"She was great, she took the news very well. I am lucky to have a mother who loves me unconditionally."

"I'm happy for you. I don't know you well, but Emily says that you are awesome and I trust her."

"Then, are you going to lie to Emily? I mean, you found the letter," I say raising my eyebrows.

"No, I won't. I am nobody to out you. I don't like lying to my friends, but this time it's the right thing to do. There's no need for you to worry."

"Thank you, Aria. I owe you one. It's so thoughtful of you to come here when you could have told Emily the truth. After all, Emily's your friend, you don't know me at all," I say shyly.

"It's nothing. If I was in your position I'd like if someone did the same for me. As for Alison, she'll get what she deserves. It's just a matter of time."

"Yeah, I hope so, she's a total bitch," I say laughing. "But I think I will tell Emily before Alison makes my life a living hell. I'm sick of lying and pretending to be someone I'm not," I say frowning.

"That's great! But you should give it a deep thought. It's a very important decision, Paige," she tells me while she looks at her phone. "I'm sorry, but I have to go, I am meeting… someone," she hays hesitantly.

"Okay, thank you very much again, Aria,"I say while I head towards the door.

"You're welcome. By the way, if you need to talk or unburden yourself, you got my number. Call me anytime, okay?"

"Yes, I will. Thank you," I tell her waving goodbye. My mom opens the front door and she leaves smiling at both of us.

"So…" my mom says staring at me and smiling.

"Mom, how many times do I have to say that she's just a friend? God!" I say sighing and laughing. "It's just school stuff, she told me about some papers that are due on Monday, that's all."

"Okay, honey. I will keep watching TV, you can go to your bedroom and talk to Aria, AGAIN!" she says roaring with laughter.

"You're so silly, mom. I'm going to my bedroom, I have too much homework," I say smiling at her.

My bedroom is the only place in the world where I feel safe. No one can hurt me, and sometimes being alone feels good. I'd prefer if I didn't have to come out to Emily, but not seeing her because of Alison's plan is too much. I want to talk to her, laugh with her, touch her, I won't go to school to be all day alone because Alison wants to ruin my life. I have a lot of feelings bottled up inside, and I can't control them. Suddenly I feel a tear is running down my cheek, I can't control my sadness anymore. I'm hurt and I can't help crying. When I'm about to take a tissue from my desk my phone rings.

"Hi," I say trying to hide my sadness.

"Hey, Paigey! Are you crying?"

"No, I'm not, it's just… I was watching a movie and… I guess I'm feeling a little bit down and… you know," I say while I wipe the tears from my face.

"Are you okay? Tell me the truth, Paige. What is going on?" she says with a very serious tone.

"Yeah, I'm fine. It's this stupid movie, Em. How did it go with the meet?" I ask.

"We won, Paige!" she says excitedly. "I'm so happy right now, all the team was in perfect sync. It was amazing!" she shouts euphorically.

"Wow! Congratulations, Em. I told you it'd be a piece of cake."

"The coach is going to buy us dinner, so I have to go, I don't want to be unpunctual. I'll get to Rosewood tomorrow. I want to see you, are you still on home detention?"

"Yeah, sadly, I am. But I'll try to skive off jail. We have to talk, Em," I add.

"Talk? That sounded serious. Is something wrong?"

"No, I just want to tell you something. I will text you tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay. See you tomorrow!"

"Bye, Em."

I hang up and I go wash my face. Tomorrow is the day. I'll come out to my dad and to Emily. I won't be living for everybody else anymore, I want to live for myself.

**To be continued…**


	7. Chapter 7: Ballsy girl

**Hi, guys! Thanks for your reviews, favourites and follows! I'm so happy you like this story as much as I do.**

**This chapter is shorter than usual, but I wanted to publish it asap so you don't have to wait one more day. I'm sorry for not updating sooner, but I didn't have enough time between university and work. **

**I write for you, guys, so I appreciate any comment, good or bad. :D**

**Don't forget I am not a native English speaker, so I apologize in advance for my grammar mistakes. **

**dayabieberxo: Thanks! The important talk will have to wait. I promise you'll read the Em-Paige talk next chapter. Maybe Alison and Emily will have a conversation too.**

**HOOBASTOO: Thank you! I'm glad you're liking it.**

**Literarylesbian37: You'll love Aria even more. She's awesome.**

**Lina-sama28: ¡Muchas gracias! Espero que este capítulo también te guste. I hope you also like this chapter.**

**Enjoy!**

**Paige's POV**

I wake up when I hear my phone is beeping. I look at the alarm clock with my eyes slightly opened. It's 8 am and today is Sunday, so whoever it is he/she is an early riser. I stretch my right arm in despair to grab my phone, I look at it, I got a text.

"**Rise and shine, sleepy head! How are you? I just want to tell you that I'm in Rosewood and I want to see you. I know you told me you'd text me today, but you know I'm an impatient person. Answer asap, Paigey!" XO**

"**You woke me up just to tell me that? You're lucky you're my friend, or I'd be really pissed off. I don't know when I'll be able to escape from this prison, but how about 4 pm at the usual place? If I can't make it I'll text you at a 'reasonable hour' during the morning. See you later!"**

"**Hahaha. When I'm in a good mood I enjoy prank texting my friends. I'm sorry if I ruined your beauty sleep, but you don't need it, you're gorgeous even if you don't rest, Paigey."**

I hope she is in a good mood this afternoon, because I'm really scared of her reaction when I say it out loud. Right now I need her friendship more than ever. A smile appears on my face when I read the part where she says I'm gorgeous. I can't help but blushing, the girl I like thinks I'm pretty, even if she is straight and she's not into me in that way.

"**Next time call Spencer when you want to prank someone. Although I don't think you're so brave. Hahaha. Anyway, doctors say too much sleep is unhealthy, so thank you. xD See you later, Em!" I text her back.**

I leave my cell phone on my bedside table and I go downstairs. My mother always makes breakfast for us, but today I'm going to do something nice for her. She's been so supportive of me that I want to show her that I appreciate she took the shocking news so well. Plus, if I make breakfast for my dad, he might be more understanding when I tell him about my sexuality in just a few minutes. I have to admit I am a big ball of nerves, he has an imposing presence and he's a deacon, he couldn't be more religious, so I think she won't accept my 'disgusting lifestyle'. Sometimes I think that he hates me, he's never been affectionate to me, he only seems to be interested in my swimming and in my grades, but he's never interested in anything else about my life. He knows I don't have friends and he also knows that I had a self-injury problem back in the day, but he preferred to let my mom deal with those problems. He keeps out of everything if he can avoid facing the hurting truth. Anyway, I don't think his attitude towards me will have a drastic change when he hears the words 'I'm gay', so I'm the one who comes off worst if I keep this secret any longer.

When I'm about to start preparing freshly squeezed orange juice I hear the sound of steps coming from upstairs.

"Good morning, honey! It smells really good. Why are you making breakfast?" my mother asks while she approaches me.

"I couldn't sleep, so I thought I could do something productive," I say while I sit down on the chair next to my mother.

"Why couldn't you sleep?" she asks me frowning. She takes the glass and drinks the orange juice in one gulp.

"I just woke up, mom. I didn't want to lay on the bed. But… I'm going to tell him, mom. I can't wait any longer, I need to vent my frustration by saying the truth about who I am."

"Okay, honey. But you know how dad is, don't take his attitude to heart. He'll need some time to accept the fact that you're not going to have a boyfriend ever. You just got to be patient, that day will come, I'm sure of it," she adds while she caresses my shoulder.

I didn't think I would be so nervous, but when I see my dad's silhouette coming down the stairs my heart starts racing, I can't control it.

"Good morning. Breakfast looks great," she says as he sits and starts eating bacon. He seems to be in a good mood, but sometimes he acts like a bipolar person, so, who knows how he's going to react when I say that I like girls.

"Actually, Paige made breakfast, it wasn't me," my mom says looking at him. I can see that she's staring at him, like she's trying to communicate telepathically with him so he says something nice to me.

"Oh… It looks delicious, Paige," he admits looking down. Well… he didn't say the two words that every other person in the world would say, but I guess this is his way to tell me that he's grateful to me.

"Dad… ummm… I have to tell you something that I know you won't like, but I can't take it anymore. I will get straight to the point."

"'_Straight?' I could have chosen any other word to express the way I'm feeling,_" I think to myself.

"I… Lately… ummm… I've realized that…" I look at my mom and she nods at me, she's trying to tell me that I can do this. My dad is frowning, he has no idea that I'm going to open up my heart, and that's very hard for me. I mean, it's not because the lesbian thing, I've always had difficulty in expressing my feelings. Now that I think about it, maybe my dad is the one to blame for it, because he's very introverted.

"Be brave, Paige," I think to myself.

"I'm gay, dad," I say abruptly. I look away from his eyes, I don't want to see his face expression. After an awkward silence I raise my head and I look at him. He's thunderstruck, his mouth is wide open, he's not saying a word. My mom is staring at him too, but he doesn't react. Instead he takes a bowl of cereals and starts eating while we keep looking at him. I can't believe he's ignoring me, I didn't expect this to happen.

"Come on, dad, say something. Yell at me, don't act like nothing happened," I say furiously. He doesn't even try to lift his head, as if he's on another planet.

"Say something, Nick. It has taken her a lot of courage to come out to you," my mother adds while she smiles at me.

He is in a state of catatonia, he doesn't even bat an eyelid. I am getting very angry, I'd prefer if he yelled at me or if he told me that I am a sinner who is going to hell. His indifference is freaking me out.

"Are you kidding me?" I shout. I am so pissed off that I take a napkin and I throw it at him. When the napkin hits his forehead he quickly raises his head and he stares straight into my eyes.

"What do you want me to say? You know my opinion about it. But it's your life, do whatever you want," he says surprisingly calm.

"What do you mean?" I ask frowning.

"It's your decision. I mean, you're a kid, you're confused, it's just a phase," he adds.

"Are you saying that maybe I'll wake up one day and I'll be attracted to boys?" I'm trying to calm down, but even if he's speaking nicely it's too frustrating.

"That's possible. Maybe it would help if you talked to other people who's going through the same thing. I mean, I know the pastor, so…" he keeps saying when I interrupt him.

"Go to hell!" I yell at him. I get my cell, I open the door and I leave the house slamming the door. I can't stand it anymore, and I don't want to cry in front of them. I don't want my dad to think that I'm weak. No way!

I could use a friend, but the only friend I have is Emily and I can't speak with her about this matter. I am walking quickly, although I don't know where the hell I'm going. I don't want to think about that, I just want to walk away from my dad and his bullshit. Suddenly I remember that I can call Aria, she told me to call her if I needed anything. I know that it's only 9:30 in the morning, but I need it so bad. I take out my cell out of my pocket and I dial her number.

"Yeah?" she says with a very sleepy voice.

"Aria, it's me, Paige," I say sobbing. "Were you sleeping? I'm sorry but I was getting desperate and I didn't know who to call," I say still crying.

"What is going on? Are you okay, Paige?" she asks evidently concerned.

"No, I'm not. I just came out to my dad, and he said that maybe I need to attend a support group. I'm not a fucking psychopath!" I shout.

"I'm sorry, Paige. He'll finally admit it, don't worry. He's in denial, but he loves you, you're his daughter," she says nicely.

"I'm not so sure about that, he's never shown any affection towards me. Now that he knows I'm 'sick' our relationship will be even worse. But I don't care, I hate him," I say angrily. More tears are running down my face, at this rate I'll dehydrate myself.

"You're very upset, it's normal to feel emotionally overwhelmed by everything that you're dealing with right now. Do you want to have a coffee so we can talk?"

"No, it's not necessary, Aria. Thank you, it means a lot to me. Now I'm feeling better. I just need to have some alone time. Thanks."

"Okay. But if you need anything, you know my number. Call me anytime, I mean it."

"I will. Thank you, Aria. I owe you one. Bye!"

I am so grateful to Aria, now I feel a little bit better. I mean, I'm not happy about what happened at home, but at least I'm not crying inconsolably. When I'm about to keep my cell in my pocket, it rings loudly. It's my mom. I know she didn't do anything wrong, quite the opposite, she's the only that backs me up on my coming out. However I don't feel like talking right now, so I push the decline button. She'll just have to wait until later.

**Emily's POV**

After winning the meet I feel really happy. This morning my mom made me a very special breakfast, according to her I needed to get my strength back and I obviously enjoyed eating all the delicious food that she prepared. My day is complete, now I'm meeting my friends to have lunch and later I'm meeting Paige.

"Hi, girls!" I say happily when I get to the café.

"Congratulations, Em!" they all say in unison.

"Thanks, girls. The other team has exceptional swimmers and Paige was not swimming, so it felt like a double victory," I add with a wide smile in my face. "Well, talk of the devil, what did you find out about Alison's blackmail?" I ask eagerly.

"Nothing," Spence and Aria say staring at the glass they're both drinking from.

"Really?" I say raising my eyebrows. I can't believe Alison hide that document so well that my friends couldn't find it. Especially Spencer, who is like a female version of Sherlock Holmes.

"Yeah," they both say.

"Did you talk to Paige, Em?" Aria asks staring at the floor. I don't know why she's asking me that, but she seems worried about something.

"No, I didn't. Why?" I ask with a surprised face. "Does she know the plan I arranged to fight back Alison?"

"No, she doesn't. I was curious," she tells me while she takes her cell nervously. I don't know what is wrong with Aria, but she obviously has a lot of things on her mind.

"I'm meeting her later," I tell her. "What is going on, Aria? I know something is bothering you, you are nervous and you don't look into my eyes," I ask staring at her.

"I'm just snowed under with school papers," she says staring at her cell and typing. "I got to go, girls. If I don't write the paper that is due tomorrow my mom will kill me."

She stands up and approaches me. She leans in close and whispers to my ear 'Be nice to her, she's having a rough time.'

I know she's having a hard time at home, her father is an idiot and she's been grounded. But I don't understand why Aria is so worried about Paige, she doesn't even know her. If I'm not mistaken, she didn't know who she was before she confronted Alison. Anyway, I'll see her in a few moments, so there's no need to worry. Right now I'd like to have a time machine so I could press a button and hug the girl I secretly love.

**To be continued…**


	8. Chapter 8: Don't let me down

**Hi, guys! Thanks for your reviews, favourites and follows! Don't hate me after reading this chapter, please. :D**

**I'm sorry I didn't update sooner, I don't have much time between university and work.**

**I write for you, guys, so I appreciate any comment, good or bad. :D**

**Don't forget I am not a native English speaker, so I apologize in advance for my grammar mistakes. **

**glorymania: I hope you like Paige's coming out. xD Thank you for your support!**

** : There should be more Arias around the world, I agree. xD They love each other, but it won't be easy.**

**Enjoy!**

**Emily's POV**

I find it hard to believe that my friends didn't find anything in Alison's bedroom and locker, so that means she's more intelligent than I thought. I didn't think she was so resentful, but she's making it clear she won't stop until she screws up Paige's life. Tomorrow I'll try to make her understand that Paige doesn't deserve to be treated like that. Anyway, right now I've to meet Paige, so I'll try to get those thoughts out of my head and concentrate on 'my secret crush'. Like Aria said, she needs happiness in her life. She's been a few days on home detention and she'll be willing to have a nice talk, so I'll avoid mentioning my problems and try to make her smile. When I get to the café where we're meeting I don't see her, so I choose a desk and I make myself comfortable. I look at my cell to see if she sent me a text, but she didn't, so I order a coffee and I wait. Suddenly I hear the door is opening, I turn around and I see the perfect girl approaching me. I stand up and I smile at her.

"Hey! How are you?" I ask while I hug her tightly. She didn't expect me to hug her, because she doesn't know how to react to my affectionate gesture.

"I'm sorry for being late, Em," she says staring at the floor.

"What is wrong, Paige? Did you cry? Your eyes are really red, and you have a long face," I say while I raise her chin with my hand.

"It's not the best day of my life, that's for sure," she adds staring at me. We both sit down in front of each other and she keeps staring down, she is acting like she's ashamed of herself.

"Just tell me what is going on. You know you can trust me. Is it your dad?" I ask. I'm concerned, and she knows it.

"Well, he's one of my countless problems. But I wanted to see you because I have to tell you something. I know you told your friends to look for that thing that Alison was using to blackmail me. Am I right?" she asks with a straight face.

"Yeah, I did. Paige, you're worrying me. Are you mad because I told my friends about your little problem with Alison?"

"No, it's not that. It turns out Aria found something in Alison's locker, but she decided to speak with me before telling you the truth."

"You talked to Aria? I ask with a poker face. I don't know what is going on right now, but I have bad feelings about this. I think she's hiding something from me.

"Yeah, I did. Aria came to me, she thought I should know that she found the letter," she says while she takes a sip of her coffee. She's clearly very nervous.

"A letter? She has the letter that proves your dad blackmailed the coach? I don't get it," I say frowning.

"I lied to you, Em. My dad has nothing to do with Alison's plan. She knows something private about me and she is using it to torture me. But now I want to be honest, I'm sick of lying to you," she says shyly.

"What are you so scared of?" I ask staring at her.

"I don't know how to… Okay, I'll just say it. Emily, I'm… you know, gay," she says lowering her voice. She's her gaze set on me, but she has a sad look in her eyes.

Did I hear wrong, or did she say the three-letter word that I can't even pronounce? I am petrified, I didn't imagine this could ever happen. Does this mean I have a chance with her? I'm overwhelmed by the thoughts going through my mind. I mean, this is a dream come true, it doesn't mean she's into me, but she likes girls, so that makes it possible.

"Can you say something, please? Don't be like my dad, Em," she says looking at me with sad puppy dog eyes.

"I'm speechless, Paige," I add briefly.

"Alison threatened to show you this if I didn't stop talking to you," she says. She opens her bag, takes something from it and she hands me a letter. I look at her hands and they're shaking. We've been together in a few important meets, but I had never seen her so agitated.

I start reading the letter with my eyes wide open. It's clearly a love letter, but my eyes can't believe what they're seeing. Is this a dream?

"Does this mean…?" I ask staring at her.

"Yes, it does, Em," she says with her eyes fixed in the ground. "I mean, Alison left a letter in my locker and she wanted me to think that it was you who wrote it. I thought that you were declaring your love for me. I was stupid, I fell into the trap, and she took advantage of it. I don't know why I thought that you felt the same thing for me, you have a boyfriend," she says almost crying.

After an awkward silence I finally open my mouth.

"I… don't like being lied to," I add. I'm angry, and those words come out of my mouth.

"What? Are you mad at me?" she asks frowning.

"Of course I'm mad at you, Paige. I wanted to help you, and you lied to me," I say raising my voice. I'm not angry at her, I'm just pissed off because I'm not brave enough to say that I love her. I have to admit that pretending to be straight is a very easy attitude to take. Coming out terrifies me, and I'm not ready to wave a gay flag around school. I know I'm a coward, but I guess I just need time to think about my future. She's looking at me with those sad teary eyes and I feel an irresistible urge to kiss her. However, I stand up and I grab my bag with the intention of leaving the café.

"Em, please, don't leave," she says while she holds my arm. She has tears running down her beautiful cheeks and she is staring at me. Her fingers hardly come in contact with my arm, but I can feel butterflies in my stomach. That's how strong my feelings have gotten.

"I got to go," I add. I know I'm being really mean, but I can't cope with this anymore. I have a lot of feelings for her and I'm afraid I'm going to do something I'll regret later.

I leave the café and I call Aria, I got to talk to her face-to-face.

"Hi. Where are you? Do you have a moment? I want to have a conversation with you," I say while I look at my watch.

"I'm at home, I'm watching a movie. Do you want to join me?" she asks nicely.

"Okay, I'll be there in five minutes. But the movie will have to wait. You know what I mean," I tell her.

"Did you talk to Paige?"

"Yeah, I did. But I'll go into details when I get there, okay? See you soon."

"Okay, I'll be waiting for you. Bye, Em."

I get into my car and I start the engine. It suddenly comes to me the image of Paige being all alone in the café. She might me crying, and I decided to avoid her like the plague. I'm a fucking monster. I'm glad Aria's house is not very far from the café, I need to know more about her secret gatherings with Paige. I get out of my car and I walk to her house, I knock on the door and her mother opens the door immediately.

"Hi, Emily! How are you?" she says nicely.

"I'm fine. Thank you. Is Aria at home?"

"Yeah, she's in her bedroom. Come in, Emily," she adds. At that exact moment Aria is walking down the stairs.

"Hi!" She says smiling at me. "Let's go to my bedroom, I'm watching a great movie, Em," she adds pointing at the stairs.

We get to her bedroom and she closes the door behind me.

"So…" she says doubtfully. "I guess you know the truth about the whole situation," she adds raising her eyebrows.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I ask frowning. "I was left looking stupid," I add furiously.

"I'm sorry, but I thought it was personal information, and she deserved to know that I knew. I didn't want to out her, she wasn't ready, and I gave her an option to decide what she wanted to do. What did you tell her?"

"I know, but I'm your friend, Aria. It concerns me, and I didn't know what to say, I was speechless," I add staring at her.

"You didn't answer my question. Did you tell her that everything was going to be okay?"

"No, I didn't," I say shamefully. "I got furious, I told her I don't like liars. After saying that I left," I add looking down. Now that I think about my attitude towards her, I'm regretting the whole conversation.

"Em!" she yells. "Why did you do that? You know she's having a hard time. You're the only friend she's got and now she'll think that you hate her too," she adds furiously.

"I know, I made a mistake, but I was hurt."

"You were hurt?" She's astonished at the fact that I didn't back her. "She lied to you because in that moment she was too scared to tell you how she felt. She feared she'd lose her only friend. Do you know that she called me this morning after she came out to her dad? She couldn't stop crying and she had nobody to turn to."

"Did she come out to her dad?"

I can't believe that she had the courage to admit to her reactionary dad that she's gay. I don't deserve her, she's braver than I thought. I can't even admit to myself that I like girls, although I'm completely sure that I'm gay. The problem is that coming out terrifies me, so I prefer to keep living a lie. It's sad but it's true how homosexuality is sometimes still a taboo, even in developed countries. If I come out of the closet in this little town it could be a huge deal, and I don't like drawing attention to myself.

"Yeah, she did. Both her parents know that she likes girls. I'm actually so proud of her," she says with a wide smile in her face.

I'm proud of her too. Right now I love her even more, her bravery is kind of sexy.

"Yes, you're right. I guess it takes a lot of courage to come out." In fact, I want Paige to be my girlfriend, but that's the only thing that distances me from her.

"Call her. She needs your support, Emily. I suppose it was really hard to have a fight with her dad and to know that the girl she likes is ignoring her. Maybe she thinks you don't want to see her because she's a lesbian. Didn't you think about that?"

"Yeah, I did. That's not acceptable. I'll call her as soon as possible. I got to apologize to her."

"Now I understand why you were all day talking about her, it turns out she's a really nice girl," she says smiling at me.

Was she dropping a hint? Maybe she put two and two together and she knows I love her too. Oh, God! My life before I got to know Paige was clearly easier, now I got to figure out how to deal with this sensitive matter.

"Well… Yeah, she… is… great," I stutter.

"Fuck! Calm down, Emily," I think to myself. If I keep speaking like a child who just learnt his first word she's going to suspect I like her.

"Can you leave now? I want to finish watching this movie," she says laughing.

"Yes, I'll leave. Thank you, Aria. See you tomorrow at school."

"Bye, Em!"

**Paige's POV **

My mom and Emily have been calling me all afternoon. I don't want more drama, so I turn off my cell phone and I sit down on a park bench. There are a lot of kids playing, they all seem so happy. I remember that I was happy too when I was their age. I mean, I had no worries at all, my only purpose in life was to have a good time. Being an adult sucks.

All of a sudden it starts raining heavily, I guess the universe is trying to tell me to go home. I stand up and I start running towards my house. Running with the rain hitting my face feels really great.

When I get home I open the door and my mom suddenly approaches me. I can see she is worried, I should have texted her, I made her suffer and that saddens me a lot.

"Are you okay, honey? You're soaked, you're going to get pneumonia," she says with a worried look.

"Yeah, it started raining and I didn't have an umbrella. I want to take a shower," I add.

"Okay, go."

"Paige!" she says as I'm about to go up. "Your dad is going to change, he loves you. You just got to be patient, Paigey,"

"Mom, I don't want to talk about it, okay? I want to take a shower and go to sleep. I'm tired and tomorrow I got to go to class." She nods at me. She understands the fight is still fresh in my mind.

When I get to my bedroom I turn on my cell phone and take clean clothes. Suddenly the phone starts beeping non-stop. I grab the cell and I see I got a lot of missed calls and a text from Emily.

**I'm really sorry. Pick up, please.**

I'm still pissed off at her, she was very mean. Right now I don't want to deal with this. I just want to take a long shower and sleep. Before opening the door I grab my cell and I type a short text.

**Go to hell.**

**To be continued…**


	9. Chapter 9: An unexpected visitor

**Thank you, guys! :) Your nice words encourage me to keep writing. Thanks for your reviews, favourites and follows!**

**I'm sorry I didn't update sooner, university and work keep me so busy. In fact, I should be studying because I have an exam on Wednesday, but I feel inspired, so studying can wait. LOL**

**I write for you, guys, so tell me what you'd like to see in upcoming chapters.**

**Don't forget I am not a native English speaker, so I apologize in advance for my grammar mistakes. **

**glorymania: my idea was to surprise you with a cliffhanger. :D**

**literarylesbian37: and poor Emily… xD**

**ov4arenko: Emily is terrified, she needs time to accept the fact that she can't keep lying to herself. But I understand that you hated Emily in this chapter. :)**

**HOOBASTOO: Thank you so much!**

**Cony: Thanks! Yes, indeed. xD I'm Spanish. :)**

** : Hahaha. Emily is not Satan, be patient. LOL**

**Cici: The "Go to hell" comment surprised you all. Yeah, I really wanted Paige to be the one who got the guts to come out. Now we'll see how Emily deals with it. **

**Guest: Thank you! I'm glad you like the story.**

**Enjoy, my lovely Payly fans!**

**Emily's POV**

It's finally Monday, Paige is coming back to school today, and I won't give up until I apologize to her. I know I let her down, but she doesn't know I am having a hard time too, and I tried to apologize. When I read the last text she sent me I was shattered. I understand that she's hurt, but she was mean, and her words mean the world to me. I don't know if she's ever going to consider forgiving me, because those were hate words. Anyway, I got to make it up to her, I can't stand not being okay with her another day. I hate that this situation is really easy to fix. I mean, I just have to make public that I like girls and tell Paige that I love her even more than she says she loves me. It seems easy, but it takes a lot of courage, and I'm a fucking coward. I've been calling her a thousand times since the last text, but she doesn't pick up. I sent her more texts, all of them saying how sorry I was and that I wanted things to be normal again, to be friends again. Well, that's a lie, but it seems logical that she's got to be my friend before the moment comes and I'm finally out so we can be together. If that really happens, I swear to God that I won't let her go, I need her in my life.

I need to do something to prove that I care for her, but I can't wait until class starts this morning. I take a banana and a peanut butter sandwich and I get in my car, I grab my cell phone and I type a text.

**I'm on my way to pick you up. We need to talk. I'll be waiting outside your house. Just give me a chance to explain myself, please- Emily.**

I start the engine and I turn on the radio and they're playing the song Still Loving You from Scorpions. I turn it off, I don't want to start crying and it's likely I will if I listen to that great romantic song. I'm about to get to her house, but she didn't text me back. I don't know if she's ignoring me again or she didn't read the text. Anyway, I'm here, so I won't leave until I see her. I get out of the car, I head to the front door, and I ring the doorbell. Her dad opens the door. Well, I guess he's her dad, 'cause it's a man and he seems annoyed by my presence.

"Good morning. Is Paige at home?" I say smiling and putting on my good girl face. If I try to be nice to him he may let me in.

"Who are you?" He asks frowning.

"Emily Fields, I'm your daughter's friend," I add smiling again.

"Oh! You're that swimmer," he says nodding and looking at me disapprovingly.

"If you meant if I'm in the school's swim team, then yes, that's me." I don't like his tone.

"What do you want?"

"I'm picking her up to go to school," I add while I point at my car.

"She didn't say anything. She's having breakfast, she's not dressed yet. I'm sure she doesn't want to keep you waiting, it's better if you go," he says with a fake smile in his face.

"But… um… Can I please talk to her before I leave, Mr. McCullers?"

"I don't have any time to waste. Just go, please," he says rudely.

"Okay, I get it. Have a nice day."

I turn around and I get in my car. I take a look at my phone, she didn't text me. I guess our conversation will have to wait until she gets to school. I know that her dad was kind of mean and rude, but I thought Paige was overreacting about her dad being so bad-tempered. It's hard to believe that sweet girl who I'm so into is his daughter. I'm glad that she's got her mother's temper. Now that I think of it, her dad's genes must be the responsible for her hurtful text message.

**Paige's POV**

"Who was that?" my mom asks raising her eyebrows.

"Emily Fields, the swimmer who is a better swimmer than our daughter," my dad says ironically.

When I hear her name I raise my head to look at him. Did he say that Emily was outside my house two minutes ago?

"What did she want, Nick?" my mom asks while she stares at me.

"She said she was picking her up to go to school. I told her to leave, because she was still having breakfast. That's all."

"Why didn't you say anything, Paige?" my mom asks with a surprised face.

"I didn't know she was coming. Maybe she sent me a text, but I didn't get it," I add. "Why didn't you tell me?" I ask my father furiously.

"What's the point of it? You are not dressed yet."

"Bullshit," I say quietly.

"What did you say?" he asks looking at me defiantly.

"Nothing." My mom is looking at me, and I know that look. She knows that if things carry on like this my dad is going to get mad and she doesn't want another fight.

"So, your cousin from New York is coming to town for a few days. He'll be a good influence on you, he's a member of a Christian youth group. You'll like him," he adds smiling at me.

"If you think he'll convince to me take away my gay feelings, you're so wrong. You're wasting your time," I shout at him.

"Some day you'll thank me for this, Paige," he adds. He takes his briefcase and he leaves.

"Did you hear that, mom? I'm sick of his attitude towards me. This is unacceptable, I can't stand it anymore. I don't' care if he thinks that being gay is a sin, but he's trying to torture me, and I won't let him rule my life," I say frowning.

"I didn't know about your dad's plans, honey. I'm so sorry, I promise you I'll talk to him. But your cousin Mark is a really nice boy, give him a chance," my mom adds while she caresses my shoulder.

"Okay, I will do it for you, mom. Now I got to go or I'll be late to class. I want to make a good impression after my rebelliousness," I say smiling at her.

"Bye, honey. Have a good day!" she says euphorically.

Before opening the door I look at my phone and I got another text from Emily.

**I won't stop until you give me a chance to apologize. You know I don't give up so easily. See you at school. XO**

I grab my phone and I start typing quickly. I want to let her know that I won't forgive her just because I'm so in love with her. I'm incredibly hurt and she must know that being in love doesn't mean I'm weak.

**How does it feel to be rejected for who you are? **

I knew this moment would come, I'm projecting all the accumulated anger towards Emily, although my dad is responsible for the feelings I'm having too. The accumulatedfury that I've repressed the last day caused me to get to the point of exploding, but now I'm feeling horribly guilty for expressing my anger towards the girl that I know for sure will stick by my side no matter how much I mess up. I know she screwed up when I told her that I have feelings for her, but it's logical that she went into panic mode after hearing the shocking news. The only thing that matters right now is that she's regretting her attitude. I wish I could go back in time and stop sending that last text. But now it's too late, I'll have to deal with it. I keep my phone in the pocket and I leave waving at my mom. I hope I don't run into Emily at school, but my plan is not likely to work.

When I get there I walk towards my locker so I get the books I need for my first class. The hall is crowded, but I try to ignore people around me. My class is down the hall, so I just have to walk some steps. I take the books and I close my locker. My heart starts racing when I see Emily walking down the hall. I walk with my head held high, I try to pretend I'm not absolutely shattered to see her walking next to her boyfriend. When she sees me her face expression changes, she's clearly furious about my last text. She immediately holds Ben's hand and she looks at me disapprovingly. I guess this is her way to tell me that she's straight and that she's really pissed off. I walk past them with my eyes fixed in the ground, I don't want to look into her eyes, it'd be very painful. When I walk in the classroom Hanna waves at me and she approaches me.

"Hey, troublemaker! How does it feel to be back to hell?" she asks laughing loudly.

"Hey. Well… Honestly, I'm not sure if I prefer to be grounded," I giggle.

"So… Do you have lunch plans today? You can join us if you want to", she says nicely.

"Ummm… Actually, I have plans. But thank you for your invitation, Hanna", I lie.

The teacher walks in the classroom and we immediately sit down. I couldn't be luckier, my first class after being suspended is with the same teacher that I pissed off. She makes it very clear that I'm not her favourite student by looking daggers at me. I can't concentrate on the class, I can't stop thinking about Emily holding hands with Ben and all her eyes full of hate staring at me. At least I didn't have to face Alison, so I can't complain about this morning.

**Emily's POV**

What happened earlier in the hall was not like me. I mean, I'm angry at her and I tried to take revenge on Paige by being affectionate to Ben in front of her. Honestly, when I saw her standing there I felt butterflies in my stomach, and I also felt the urge to kiss her until we were both breathless. But I'm a goddamn coward, so I did the only thing that I knew would hurt her. These repressed feelings are killing me, not being true to myself is tearing me apart.

Before going to my first class I go to the restroom. I open the door and Alison is making herself up in front of the mirror. I pluck up courage and I approach her with a serious face.

"You should stop harassing her, I know the truth, so leave her alone," I tell her letting out all my pent up.

"I can't believe No Neck is finally out. Did her religious dad finally put her in an asylum?" she giggles.

"You disgust me," I shout at her. I can't understand how I could be so in love with her. I guess love is blind.

"Don't lie, Em. Then you can finally be happy together, right? Oh, damn! I forgot you have a boyfriend and you are so in love with him," she says ironically. "What does Ben think about your little secret? I'd like to see his face when he hears that you want to do dirty things to Pigskin," she says showing me her usual evil smile.

"Stop calling her that!" I yell at her. "And I'm not scared at you, Alison," I add.

"I know that you can't even admit that you secretly like girls, but I'd scared if I were you," he says threatening me tactlessly. "And I'll keep calling her Pigskin as long as she has those ugly scars all over her body."

Is she implying that she cuts herself? I didn't noticed any scars, and I always look spellbound at her perfect toned body at the earliest opportunity, especially when she's wearing her swimsuit (and when she's not) so I'm positive it's just a lie. I'm sure she's messing with my head, because that's her favourite hobby.

"Just stop it, please," I add sadly. I'm trying to let her know that I can't stand her threats anymore, but she has no soul, so it's worthless.

"By they way, I overheard a conversation between the boys from the football team and a lot of them are really interested in her, so you have rivals, Em. I really don't understand why she's so popular, because she's not sexy at all. But… I wish you good luck!" she adds while she opens the door and leaves me speechless.

Alison is trying to play me, because I'm quite sure Paige is not going to date any guy. I mean, she came out to her parents, she's clearly convinced of her homosexuality. However, people at school don't know that she likes girls, so I won't be happy until I know for sure that she's no interest in any boy. As for Alison's comment, I understand that I'm not the only one who's captivated by her charm and her attractiveness.

I spend all morning gazing into space, I have a feeling of emptiness that doesn't go away. Everything that's going on my life is so frustrating. I look at my watch and I realize that it's almost lunch time. I need to talk to my friends, even if can't express my real feelings. When the ring bells I grab my bag and I head to the cafeteria. Hanna, Spence and Aria are already there. I quickly go get pasta and a yoghourt and I join them.

"Hey!" they all say in unison.

"Hey, girls. I'm starved," I add while I sit next to Spence and start eating eagerly.

"Is something wrong with Paige, Em? I invited her to join us for lunch and she said she have plans, but she's sitting alone," Hanna says pointing at a table. I didn't notice she was there when I walked in the cafeteria.

"Ummm… I'm not… really sure," I say doubtfully and staring at Aria. Aria looks at me and raises her eyebrows, I guess she assumed that my plan didn't go well.

"Maybe she needs some time alone, Hanna. She knows she's welcome to join us, so if she feels like being with us she'll come here," Aria adds giving me a surprised look.

Suddenly a really attractive guy enters the cafeteria and Paige stands up. He approaches her and the guy hugs her tightly. I don't know who that tall guy is, but I'm about to explode with jealousy.

"Yum! Who is that hottie?" Hanna asks checking him out quite openly.

"I don't know, it's the first time I see him, but I wouldn't mind being in Paige's place," Spencer says smiling.

"_Relax, Emily. She's in love with you and she is gay," _I think to myself.

I'm trying to convince myself that she likes girls, but the idea of her being bisexual terrifies me. I don't want to lose her because of my cowardice.

**To be continued…**


	10. Chapter 10: Jealousy

**Thank you, guys! :) Thanks for your reviews, favourites and follows!**

**I'm sorry I didn't update sooner, university and work keep me so busy. I wanted to write a long chapter, but I don't have enough time, so I decided to publish a shorter version.**

**I write for you, guys, so tell me what you'd like to see in upcoming chapters.**

**Don't forget I am not a native English speaker, so I apologize in advance for my grammar mistakes. **

** : I agree, Ali is Satan. xD**

**HOOBASTOO: Thank you again!**

**dayabieberxo: You'll like Emily in this chapter. :)**

**Psyro: I wanted Paige to be the brave one and Emily the one who was having doubts. I'm glad you like the story.**

** .94064: Thank you so much!**

**dotylink64: Thanks!**

**cici: Hahaha. Yeah, Mark is her cousin.**

**glorymania: I think you are the only one who is feeling sorry for Emily. LOL**

**Enjoy!**

**Paige's POV**

Eating alone in the cafeteria was my kind of thing before knowing Emily and her friends, but right now it doesn't feel so great. Plus today it's different, I told Hanna I had plans so I didn't have to join them (especially Emily) and now I'm sitting alone and I can feel Hanna is staring at me and wondering why I lied to her. This saddens me, because I like Hanna and she was being so nice, but if I accepted her invitation I'm quite sure the tension between Emily and I would be very visible, and I don't want her friends to know why we aren't talking to each other. That's why I'll eat quickly so I can leave the cafeteria and avoid to give them any explanation. When I'm about to finish eating the yoghourt, and I stand up to leave, I see a tall boy walking towards me.

"Paige?" he asks while he smiles at me.

"Yeah," I add doubtly. His face is familiar.

"I'm Mark, dummy," he says laughing and hugging me tightly.

"Hi. The last time I saw you was so long ago," I giggle.

I forgot he was so handsome. I mean, I'm gay but I can appreciate beauty, and Mark is very attractive. In fact, every girl in the cafeteria is looking at his green eyes and athletic body.

"Yeah, exactly five years ago. Look at you!" he says pointing at me. "You were only 12, you are a woman now."

"Yeah, well, you're different too."

"I'm 22, my dear cousin. Can I join you?" he says as he sits in front of me.

"Yeah, sure. Did my mom tell you to come here?"

"Yes, she did. I just got here and I didn't know what to do. If you want to be alone just say it, I'll go grab a coffee and visit some old friends," he says looking at me and waiting for my response.

"No, I don't mind. Actually, I appreciate your company, I was eating alone and it can be a really unpleasant moment," I add shyly.

"So… How are you, Paige?" he asks staring at me.

"Well… Did my dad tell you why he wanted you to come here?" I ask frowning.

"Yeah, he did. Actually, he talked to my mom."

"If you're thinking about a conversion therapy or whatever your Christian group does in these cases, keep your advice to yourself. I'm not sick, it's not a phase and I won't change just because society sucks and they've decided without any scientific proof that being straight is good and homosexuality is a sin," I say furiously but trying to low my voice so people don't hear my speech.

"Wow! Bravo!" he says as he claps at me.

"Are you laughing at me?" I ask angrily.

"No, I wasn't. I agree with you. I'm happy not all McCullers' genes are screwed up. At one point I even thought I was adopted, my mom is just as reactionary as your dad and I couldn't believe that I could be her son."

"Then… Why did my dad say that you were a model son who respected Christian values?" I'm really confused, Mark is not the boy my dad described.

"Let's just say that I'm a good liar," he giggles. "I have secrets too, Paige," he says nodding.

"Do you worship Satan?" I ask laughing loudly.

"No, I don't. But I want to be a Broadway actor, and I'm pretty sure my parents won't accept that nasty profession," he adds smiling at me. "I tell them that I'm going to Christian youth meetings or to church, instead I just attend acting and singing classes. That's my secret and dream, Paige. Although I think your sin is worst than mine, so I'll have a better place in hell," he says as he bursts out laughing. I was feeling down, but my cousin made my day. I'm glad he came to visit, I think I got to thank my dad after all.

"I didn't expect you being so open-minded, Mark. By the way, I don't know if you're a good actor or singer, but with your looks you can make it in Broadway even if you're the worst actor in the world. I'm just saying," I add.

"Wow! My lesbian cousin is paying me a compliment. This is so unexpected," he says as he shows me a wide smile.

"You know, I have eyes, Mark. I guess the McCullers' genes are responsible for our irresistible attractiveness."

"That's so true," he laughs. "Don't you have class now?"

"Yeah, I do. But we could meet after school, if you want to, I don't want to force you to do stuff."

"Sure, we could meet for a coffee. There's a café very near, do you know what place I'm talking about?"

"Yeah, I do. Rosewood is tiny. Then it's a date, meet me there at 4, okay?"

"Okay, I'll be waiting for you. See you, Paigey!" he says as he waves goodbye. All girls are drooling over him when he leaves the cafeteria.

"Don't call me that, Mark!" I yell at him and I smile while he laughs at me.

I just have another class and I'll be free till tomorrow, because I don't have swimming practice, so I hope this last class is not as boring as hell. The Spanish teacher is not very dynamic, so I have a feeling that this last hour will be never-ending. If I don't want to fall asleep I need to amuse myself with something, so I grab a book and I start reading while the teacher keeps repeating "_Quiero que todo el mundo atienda en clase. Estoy harta de vuestro pasotismo_." I don't know what that means, but when she looks at me I nod at her, she frowns. I guess she's not happy, but I don't care, I've a lot going on my life and I don't think speaking Spanish will help me fix all my problems. I bury myself in reading the book that's helping me escape from my chaotic life and time flies.

"Se acabó la clase. Espero que mañana atendáis más," the teacher says looking at us.

I look around and everybody is leaving the class and the bell rings. I didn't understand a word she said, I think I got to make an effort to improve my Spanish. It'll be my number one priority after I deal with my other worries.

When I get to the café I see Mark is there. He's sitting alone and he's reading a book without looking up from it.

"Hey!" I say while I sit in front of him.

"Hi. How are you?" He closes the book and looks at me.

"Fine. And you? Do you like Rosewood?"

"I'm okay. Of course I like this place, it's very peaceful. It's lovely. But enough about me, let's talk about you. Don't you remember I came here to convert you?" he giggles.

"Well… what do you want to know?" I ask while I touch my chin.

"I've a feeling that you like a girl. I know you're gay, but I'm pretty sure you've a crush on someone. Am I wrong?" he asks eagerly.

"Ummm… Yes, I do. Her name is Emily, she's my teammate, she's in my swimming team. But she's straight, and she's mad at me, so it's impossible," I say bowing my head.

"How do you know she's straight?"

"She's got a boyfriend. Actually… that's… Emily," I say lowering my voice and looking at the couple that is opening the door.

"Okay, calm down," he says as he holds my hand. "I get why you like her, she's hot," he says smiling at me. "Let's see if she's as straight as you say she is," he adds giggling.

Ben and Emily sit at the table that's next to the window. I can't see them 'cause I'm with my back to them, so I guess I'm lucky.

"Stop, don't do anything stupid, please."

After saying that, Mark caresses my arm and holds my hands.

"Now laugh, act like we're having a good time. She has to think you're interested in me."

"This is stupid, Mark. She's having a coffee with her boyfriend, for God's sake," I say a little bit angry at him.

"You can't see them, but they're clearly fighting. She can't keep her eyes off you. Mrs. 'I'm straight' is into you, Paige. Believe it or not, she's jealous of me. You've got her eating out of your hand, Paigey," he says laughing.

"Nonsense. Can we go home, please?"

"Now it's getting really interesting," he adds eagerly. "He's obviously mad at her. He's leaving the café without her. It's your turn, my lovely cousin. I'll leave you two alone, I'm going outside to have a smoke." He walks out the door, I don't know what to do.

Suddenly I feel someone taps on my shoulder.

"Paige…"

"Hi," I say after I turn around and I look at her perfect face.

"Can I join you?"

"Well… Mark is outside, so… Yeah, sure."

"Who is he? He's being overly affectionate," she asks frowning. Maybe Mark was right, she's jealous, but not in a romantic way.

"Why do you want to know? I thought our friendship was over because you don't like having a lesbian friend."

"Are you kidding?" she says furiously. "I was mad at you because you lied to me, not because you're gay. I don't care about that, it hurts me that you really think I'm like that. I don't care if you like guys or girls, I'm your friend."

"What do you want me to think? We were inseparable and when I told you I had feelings for you you rejected me and avoided me like the plague," I tell her clearly annoyed.

"I don't know what else to say, Paige. I just want to fix this, but you refuse to listen. When do you want to talk about this?"

"What's the point? You don't want to be my friend, so this is worthless. I guess you prefer to spend time with your lovely friend Alison," I say ironically. She looks daggers at me and she leaves without saying goodbye. She's obviously mad at me.

"What did you do, dummy?" Mark asks when I go outside after paying the check.

"I don't want to talk about it? And stop saying she's gay, you're hurting me, okay?" I say rudely. My phone beeps and take it out of my pocket.

**Aria's parents are out of town. She's throwing a party and she told me to invite you. If you want to give me a chance to explain myself, go to Aria's at 6. Stop being so grumpy with me.**

**Emily's POV**

The boy Paige is spending time with is getting on my nerves. When I saw him touching her in the café I was about to explode with jealousy, and I couldn't stop staring at her, so I understand why Ben was so mad at me. I hope she comes to Aria's, because I want to talk to her when that boy is not around.

"Is she coming?" Aria asks when she sees me standing alone in a corner and staring at the door.

My eyes light up when I see her walking in the house.

"Who?"

She is talking to that guy and he is holding her around her waist. She's happy, I'm sick of that stupid boy. She looks at me and she diverts her gaze.

" I'm talking about Paige, Em. Why don't you just tell her?" she asks staring at me.

"Tell her what?"

"That you're into her, that you want to be more than friends, Em," she says smiling at me.

I'm in shock, I'm astonished at Aria's comment. I could play dumb, but I don't think Aria would believe me.

"How did you know? I didn't tell anybody," I say shyly.

"It's so obvious, Em," she adds smiling. "Just tell her that you feel the same. You're not a coward," she nods. "Look, she's going to the bathroom, the moment is now," she says pointing at her while she goes upstairs.

I follow her as quickly as I can but when I get there she's just closing the bathroom door. There's a blonde girl lining up to use the bathroom, but I ignore her and I knock on the door.

"Paige! It's me, Emily. Can I come in?"

"I want to pee too," the blonde girl says staring at me.

"This is an emergency," I add.

"I'm having and emergency too," she says frowning.

"Okay, I'm going to open the door, Paige," I tell her before walking in the bathroom and closing the door.

"Are you crazy? Go away!" she yells at me.

"I won't leave until you know the truth," I say approaching her. I hold her around the waist, I push her against the wall and I kiss her until I'm breathless.

"I've been wanting to do this all day. Now I'll leave so you can pee," I say before opening the door and leaving her puzzled.

**To be continued…**


	11. Chapter 11: Satan is back

**Thank you, guys! :) Thanks for your reviews, favourites and follows! Your support encourage me to keep writing. :)**

**I'm sorry I didn't update sooner, but I suppose I'll have more free time after doing tomorrow's exam. I hope it's worth the wait.**

**I write for you, guys, so tell me what you'd like to see in upcoming chapters.**

**Don't forget I am not a native English speaker, so I apologize in advance for my grammar mistakes. **

**Enjoy this chapter!**

**dayabieberxo: Let's see if you like this Emily. xD I can picture Mark in my head. LOL**

**MandyG: Thank you for your kind words! Everyone was so angry at her that I was obliged to write Emily doing something romantic. :)**

**HOOBASTOO: Thank you!**

**lina-sama28: Thank you so much. I hope you like this chapter too.**

**glorymania: Yeah, it was rushed. In fact, I wanted that chapter to be longer, but I didn't have time, and I wanted to publish it asap. That's why everything happened so fast. :)**

** : Thank you! The blonde girl was just a Paily victim. And she's back. LOL**

**ov4arenko: Mark is awesome.**

**Rsbchamp2: You're right, Emily is finally doing the right thing.**

**cici: Thank you! I knew Emily should surprise Paige by kissing her unexpectedly.**

**Cony: ¡Muchas gracias! Ben todavía dará un poco de guerra, pero eso no significa que no haya momentos tiernos Paily. xD Por ahora no tengo intención de terminar el fic, hay muchas cosas pendientes. :)**

**Enjoy!**

**Paige's POV**

I can't believe what happened a few minutes ago in this bathroom. Does this mean she's gay? Was she just curious and wanted to experience kissing a girl? If she keeps kissing me like that she's going to drive me crazy, it was definitely the best kiss I ever had. I could feel my heart racing so fast that for a moment I thought it would jump out of my chest. So, now what? Is she gay, bi-curious, straight, confused? Will she break up with Ben so she can be with me?

"_Okay, calm down, Paige. You don't know if she wants to be your girlfriend,"_ I think to myself.

After taking a deep breath I open the door and I see a blonde girl who is older than me looking at me so furiously.

"It was about time, I didn't want to wet my Armani pants," she says really angry. "Where the hell were you doing there? Okay, I don't want to know," she adds shaking her head.

"I'm really sorry," I say shyly.

While I'm going downstairs to meet my cousin I look around to find Emily, she's standing next to Ben and they're both laughing. I know I'd be begrudging even if she didn't kiss me in the bedroom just a few minutes ago, but now that I've experienced the feeling of her lips against mine, I'm bursting with jealousy. She gives me a quick gaze and she smiles slightly, but it seems that she's too shy to look back at me. I didn't think she'd react like this, I mean, she plucked up courage and kiss me, and right now she's acting like a totally different Emily. I guess she doesn't want people to think there's chemistry between us. I don't want Emily to feel awkward around me, so I smile at her and I approach my cousin.

"Where the hell have you been? Did you go to the supermarket to buy toilet paper and came back? Spit it out!" he says looking at me with her eyes wide open.

"She kissed me," I tell him with a wide smile in my face.

"Who?" he asks staring at me anxiously.

"Hillary Clinton," I say ironically. "Emily, you dummy! Who do you think I was talking about?" I say laughing before I smack him on the head.

"No… fucking… way!" he says grinning. "What did I tell you, Paigey. I knew she was into you, I kinda have a sixth sense. What did she say after kissing you?"

"She told me that she had wanted to do that all day, then she left. I'm not sure of her intentions, but I'm nervous. And don't forget she's got a boyfriend, and they are clearly having a good time, so my dream is over," I say looking down sadly.

"Don't say bullshit. She kissed you, she wanted to kiss you, she's got feelings for you, so your dream is about to start. Don't give up so easily, McCullers' aren't quitters, you know," he adds while he caresses my arm. "Come here," he says as he opens my arms and hugs me tightly.

"Thanks, Mark. I think I'm going to text her, we need to talk," I say nodding.

I take my phone out of my bag and I start typing, although it's really hard to press the letters, I'm still shaking from the kiss she gave me.

**I don't understand anything. We should talk about that awkward moment. Text me back, asap.**

**Emily's POV**

"Tell me every little detail," Aria says nervously after I come back from the bathroom.

Ben is standing next to me, but luckily he doesn't hear Aria's words. I know he is my plus-one at this party, but he's standing there like a dummy, he doesn't even say a word and he just smiles when Hanna says something funny. I've never been in love with him, but lately it's been like dating a complete stranger, he only talks about football and he bores me to death. I won't deny he's attractive, I acknowledge that he's handsome and he's a nice guy, but he's not the most intelligent person in the world. I don't know if he's been like this since we started dating. Maybe he was, but I didn't realize because I was just trying to convince myself that the feelings I had for Alison were just something a girl would feel for their friend. The only thing I know for sure is that those feelings meant something that are going to completely change my life. In short, now that I can compare my boyfriend to Paige, well, let's just say that my Paigey gains advantage over him. She's hot, nice, brave, intelligent… She's a total catch.

"Em, I'm talking to you," Aria says persistently and tapping on my shoulder.

"I'm going to say hi to John. I'll leave you alone, girls," he says smiling.

"We… I… I just…" I start saying as Ben walks away.

"Spit it out, Em! You're gonna kill me," she adds with her eyes wide open.

"I kissed her. There, I said it!"

"Oh my God! You didn't!" she tells me looking at me puzzled.

"Yeah, I did. Trust me," I say laughing.

"Way to go, Em! I'm so proud of you," she says as he hugs me. "What about Ben?"

"I'll deal with that later. I've been meaning to break up with him, but I had a lot going on my life and I didn't want to add another problem. But it's on my to-do list," I say giggling. "And remember I'm not ready to come out, so don't tell Hanna and Spencer yet. I'll tell them when I'm ready, okay?"

"Yeah, sure, I'll keep my mouth shout. Talk of the devil, Hanna and Spencer are coming, so try to act normal."

"What do you mean?"

"Did you look in the mirror? You're in a state of euphoria. I mean, you're going to explode with happiness," she chuckles.

She's right, I wouldn't be surprised if people thought I was high, but I'm so happy I finally took this decisive step and let her know that I'm into her.

"I'm Paige's greatest fan. I mean, his boyfriend is so hot," Hanna says when she sees Paige and her cousin hugging each other.

"He's not her boyfriend, he's her cousin," I add.

"Does this mean he's single? Do I have a chance with him? How old is he? Is he straight? Where does he live?" Hanna keeps asking non-stop nervously.

"How do you expect me to know all that information?" I say laughing loudly. "He's her cousin, period."

"You could go ask him, be brave," Spencer tells Hanna smiling at her.

"Maybe I will," he says frowning and staring at him.

If Hanna sets herself that goal, I'm sure she'll get a date with him.

Suddenly I hear a phone beeping, I look at my friends but they're all looking at me.

"I think it's your phone, Em," Spencer says pointing at my bag.

I grab my phone and I read Paige's text. I smile widely when I see she's concerned. Sometimes she can be so naive, she's so cute. She's confused, but I guess she really thinks the kiss was just an impulse, she doesn't believe I want to be more than friends.

"We're going to get a drink, do you want something?" Hanna and Spence ask nicely.

"No, thanks," Aria and I answer in unison.

When they both leave I show Aria the text, and she smiles too.

"She didn't expect that, Em. She's worried, you should talk somewhere private. Do you want to meet her in my bedroom. You can close the door, nobody will know you're there."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I am," she admits nodding. "Go get your girl," she says smiling widely.

"Okay, I will. Thanks again, Aria," I tell her before I approach Paige.

"Do you mind if I steal her?" I tell her cousin smiling at him and holding Paige's arm.

"Yeah, sure, she's a pain in the ass. Thanks for doing me this favor," he chuckles.

I go ahead and Paige follows me. When I open the door I let her in, I look around to see if anyone has noticed us, and when I see the coast is clear I close the door quickly. She is staring at me, she's clearly nervous, she doesn't know what to do, so she's waiting for me to talk first.

**Paige's POV**

"So… What do you want to know?" she says with her sexy voice as she approaches slowly.

"Ummm… Why… did you… do that?" I ask stuttering. I'm so nervous that if she comes closer I'll have a heart attack.

"Why do you think I kissed you?" she says standing so close to my face that I can hear her breathing.

"I'm not… sure," I say shyly while I bow my head.

She rises my chin and gives me a soft kiss. I don't know if my heart will stand another kiss without bursting out of my chest.

"Are you sure now?" she whispers in my ear.

I hold her face and I kiss her passionately until she runs out of breath.

"Are you okay?" I ask smiling at her.

"I'm more than just okay," she says grinning and holding my hands.

"Does this mean you are… you know," I say staring at her.

"Gay? Yeah, I am. I've suspected I like girls for a long time, but I preferred to close my eyes to the truth. But when I'm with you I can't control myself, so I'll have to face the truth, I'm not a little kid anymore."

"Then, why did you reject me when I told you I was into you?" I ask frowning.

"I was so afraid. In fact, I'm still afraid my friends and family are going to take it the wrong way," I say sadly.

"You don't have to announce that you're gay. That's up to you, Fields."

"Did anyone ever tell you you're the cutest person in the world?" Emily asks while she cups my face in her hands and she kisses me deeply.

"I get told that everyday," I say giggling. "Maybe we should be going downstairs, my cousin doesn't know anybody and he'll be bored."

"I don't think so," she adds chuckling.

"What do you mean?" I ask surprisedly.

"Hanna likes him, I'm quite positive they'll be flirting," she says smiling at me. When she opens the door a familiar face is standing in front of us.

"Well, well, well… What were you doing in there? Did she rape you?" Alison says with her evil laugh and pointing at me. She's so drunk her breath stinks.

"I'm not in the mood to fight, so leave us alone," Emily says calmly.

"Did you show her those sexy scars, No Neck?" she asks while she grabs my arm.

"Don't touch me, I don't want to hurt you." Emily is staring at them, so I cross my arms. She noticed that I was hiding them and she gives me a sad look.

"Hurt me? Bullshit!" she adds chuckling. "Excuse me, I need to use the bathroom. We'll continue this conversation downstairs, it'll be so fun," she says grinning.

"Ignore her," Emily tells me as she holds my arm and walks down the stairs.

I won't deny I'm worried, Alison is drunk and she's a bitch. That means anything could happen.

Emily was right, Hanna is talking to Mark, I'm glad that he wasn't alone while I was drooling over Emily in Aria's bedroom. I don't want to be the third wheel, so I join Emily's friends.

"Is that Alison? I didn't invite her. Who let her in?" Aria says furiously.

Alison is coming closer and she's smiling widely, I'm having a bad feeling about her next move. She's wicked, but if you add alcohol to her disgusting personality, the outcome could be disastrous.

**Emily's POV**

"Don't pay any attention to her and she'll leave. Besides, she's drunk as a skunk, she won't do anything bad," I tell my friends and I look at Paige trying to calm her down.

"Hey, dyke!" she shouts from afar, so everybody in the party hear those two words.

I can't believe she's going to out me in front of so many people. I'm shaking, this can't be happening.

"I'm talking to you, Pigskin. Why don't you tell everybody that you play for the other team?"

She's talking about Paige, and Paige is staring at the floor. I suppose she feels horrible, but I can't help to feel relieved, she's not outing me. Maybe this means I'm a horrible person, but I'm not ready for this.

"Shut the fuck up!" Spencer yells at her. "I'm sick of your bullshit. Grow up." She's furious, she's got real guts to confront her. Meanwhile I can't articulate a word, I'm in shock.

"Why are you defending her, Hastings? I just wanted to announce that our friend Paige McCullers is a lesbian, if I was in the swimming team I'd think before getting naked in front of her, she may rape you," Alison adds pointing at my swimming teammates.

"_Come on, say something, defend your 'friend', Em,"_ I think to myself. But I'm still paralized, and I guess I'm a coward who is so afraid of being out of the closet that prefers to see Alison attack the girl that I love. I don't deserve her, I'm a fucking monster.

I see Mark is about to explode with anger, he's holding back. But when she looks at Paige and he sees her cousin is almost crying, he throws Alison over his shoulder, he carries her outside and he finally throws her in the pool.

"Leave my cousin alone, you bitch!" he yells as Alison spits water and breaths with difficulty.

Mark gets inside the house, she holds Paige's hand and they both leave not saying a word.

**To be continued…**


	12. Chapter 12: It's not that easy

**Thanks for your reviews, favourites and follows! Your support encourages me to keep writing. :)**

**I'm so sorry I didn't update sooner. I guess I need 48 hour days, I'm so busy. :( I hope it's worth the wait. I'll try to update asap. :)**

**I write for you, so give me ideas for upcoming chapters. Don't be shy. :D**

**Don't forget I am not a native English speaker, so I apologize in advance for my grammar mistakes. **

**Enjoy this chapter!**

**dayabieberxo: Em is terrified, that's why she didn't stand up for Paige. She needs to show her she's willing to make sacrifices to be with her.**

**MandyG: Thank you so much! Alison is a bitch. Emily will have to make a grand romantic gesture so Paige trusts her. :)**

**glorymania: Yeah, Alison is alive, and she won't stop doing what she does best. xD Be patient with Emily, she's braver than it looks. :D**

** : Thank you! That was so nice of you. :) I hope I keep cheering your mornings up.**

**Sparks3933: Thanks! Yeah, Paige is too forgiving. She's got a heart of gold.**

**Enjoy!**

**Emily's POV**

"Paige, Paige!" I shout as I run towards her. Her cousin gets in his car and she turns around so she can look me in the eye.

"What do you want?" She says with a long face. "I just want to go home, please", she insists. I grab her arm and I cup her face, but she looks down.

"I'm sorry, Paige. I was in shock, I'm stupid, I should have stand up for you."

"I don't need you to defend me, Emily. I'm not a little girl anymore," she says frowning.

"I know that, but I feel like I betrayed you. Can we go talk somewhere more private, please?" I beg her.

"I'm tired, Emily. I don't want to have a fight, I'm tired of everything," she adds staring at me.

"I don't want to fight, I just want to spend time with you. Then, will you have me breakfast with me, please? I beg you," I say making sad puppy eyes. It's the only way I can convince her to try to explain what is going on with me.

"Okay," she says shyly.

"Thanks. I'll pick you up before class. Breakfast is on me," I add smiling. Today I let her down again, and I don't want to lose her. I must tell my friends and parents, I can't live this lie, it's affecting me and Paige, and she deserves happiness.

I wave at Mark but he looks daggers at me. He's obviously disappointed with my attitude and I agree with him, I was horrible. Now I have to make amends, so I walk in Aria's house and I walk towards Ben. We need to have a very serious conversation.

"Hey! Where were you?" he asks. "I thought you left without saying goodbye."

"No, I was talking to Paige. She was upset, I wanted to cheer her up."

"Did you know that she's… you know… gay?" he asks staring at me.

"No, I didn't," I lie. "What Alison did was disgusting. It's her life, she shouldn't have said anything. She's evil," I say frowning.

"I don't know why she did it, though. I mean, why does she care who Paige dates?" he says looking at me surprised. I'm not in love with him, but I'm glad he's not a homophobic.

"Yeah, I don't get it," I say nodding. "Can we go outside, we need to talk." My face expression becomes very serious, he instantly realizes something is wrong.

"Is something wrong? Did I do something?" he asks nervously as we leave the house. We sit next to the pool and I look at him. He's not the most intelligent person in the world, but when I look at his eyes I can see he's worried about the words I'm just gonna say.

"You didn't do anything wrong. I just… I don't have… the same feelings anymore. I mean, you're nice and I like you a lot, but… there's something missing," I say almost stuttering. I knew that it wouldn't be easy, but when I look at his sad face I feel like I'm a monster.

"Are you breaking up with me?"

I nod, I don't know what else to say.

"It's not your fault, Ben. If we don't break up I can assure you you won't be happy. I don't want to be with you when you could be with a girl that loves you and makes you happy."

"How do you know I won't be happy? I love you, Emily. I don't want to be with nobody but you." He's annoyed, but there's no going back. I don't want to be in this relationship and hurt Ben and Paige.

"I'm really sorry, but I don't feel the same for you. It might sound like a cliché, but I like you as a friend. I know you don't want to be my friend right now, but after a while I hope you'll give me a chance."

"Are you breaking up with me because of another boy?" he asks frowning.

"No, I'm not." I'm not lying, he doesn't know the person that drives me crazy is a girl.

"I don't know what to say. I guess we can't fix it, so I'll have to get used to the idea of being single," he says with a sad look in his eyes.

"I'm so sorry, Ben. I didn't want to hurt you, I wanted to be honest with you."

"Okay, I suppose I'll see you at school. Good night," he says. He walks towards his car while he stares at the floor. He's devastated, but I should have done this sooner, even if it hurts.

After this awful experience I don't want to stay at this party. I just want to go home and sleep, so I text Aria that I'm leaving home. Then I get in the car, I grab my phone from my bag and I text Paige.

"**I'm glad you accepted my breakfast invitation. I'm willing to see you. XOXO"**

**Paige's POV**

I won't lie, I'm a little bit disappointed because Emily didn't say anything when Alison tried to embarrass me in front of everybody. I know she's not ready to come out yet, but she could have stand up for me like Spencer did. But I also admit that when I remember our bathroom and Aria's bedroom moments and I change my opinion about her. I wasn't sure about it, but now I realize that she really wants to be with me. However, we must have a conversation, because I don't know what she wants, and she's got a boyfriend.

I'm getting dressed because she'll be here any moment. I look at my phone and I see I got a text from her telling me that she's waiting inside the car. I look out of my window and I see her sitting in the car. She looks at me and she waves smiling. I go downstairs as quickly as I can and I see my mother is having breakfast.

"Bye, mom," I tell her waving.

"Have a nice day, honey," she answers nicely.

I close the door and I go running towards the car. Emily has that smile in her face that I love so much, she's irresistible.

"Good morning!" she says excitedly.

"Hi," I answer. I'm not as excited as she is, because I don't know what she's going to tell me and it worries me.

"Are you hungry?"

"Yeah, a little bit. But I guess we should talk about what happened these last days, right?"

"Sure," she answers as she turns on the radio. We stay in silence till we get to the café, but it's not an awkward moment, it feels okay.

"I told you breakfast is on me, so choose the table and relax. I'm going to the restroom, I'll be right back," she adds while she walks away.

I have to tell her we need to define our relationship. I mean, I don't know if we're friends, if she's my girlfriend, if she's just a friend with benefits… This uncertainty is killing me, so I'll go straight to the point. I need answers, I'm tired of not knowing what is going on in my life.

When I look in front of me I see the waitress approaching our table with a coffee pot and two huge plates with pancakes, scrambled eggs and bacon.

"We didn't order yet," I say smiling when I see she's putting all that food in our table.

"Your friend called 30 minutes ago and she told us that she wanted a complete breakfast for two, she said something about a very special moment that she wanted to celebrate," she says showing me a wide smile. I guess she's smiling at me because of my perplexed face.

"Thank you," I hear Emily saying before sitting in front of me. "I hope you're hungry," she giggles.

"Wow, I didn't expect this. Thanks," I add staring at the delicious food in front of me.

"So… I guess you've got a lot of doubts. That's why you came, am I right?" she asks while she pours coffee in the coffee cups.

"Yeah, I'm concerned about everything. I mean, are we just friends? What do you want from me?" I say worriedly.

"I like you a lot, Paige. I'd like to be more than your friend, but I won't force you to be my girlfriend," she says smiling at me and holding my hand.

"Are you sure? You saw what Alison did to me, it's not easy, people can be very mean. I don't want you to get hurt because of me."

"Are you kidding me? You're not the problem. I want you, Paige. The only problem is that I don't know how to tell my parents. I'm scared."

"I get it, it can be very difficult, but I'd prefer to tell them myself before Alison decides to ruin your life by telling everybody that you like girls. Remember she did the same to me. I know she's your friend, but she could easily do that. And what about your boyfriend?" I ask with a look sad in my eyes.

"I broke up with him after you left Aria's party," she adds smiling. "And I'm planning to tell my friends today, I'm sick of all the lies."

"I didn't see that coming," I tell her open-mouthed. "I'm happy for you, but I didn't mean to put pressure on you," I say smiling at her and finishing my pancakes.

"Are you still mad at me?" she asks while she twiddles with my fingers.

"I wasn't angry with you," she says while she looks at me frowning. "Well, maybe a little bit," I say smiling slightly. "Thank you for this, but it's getting late," I add while I look at my watch.

"If you want to get rid of me, just say it!" she says laughing.

"Yeah, I'm sick of you, that was just an excuse," I chuckle.

"I'll pay breakfast, then we'll go to class, okay?"

"Sure. But you should now I'll be the talk of the school, and if you're with me they'll talk about you too."

"I don't give a shit. I want to spend every minute I can with you, you won't get rid of me so easily," she insists before taking her purse and paying.

"Thanks for everything, Em," I say shyly.

"You're welcome, McCullers," she adds smiling at me.

**Emily's POV**

Paige had to talk to the coach before going to class, so after saying to goodbye to her I join my friends. They're talking sitting on a table but they're not speaking, so I guess caffeine didn't work today.

"Hey!" I say showing them a wide smile in my face.

"Morning. Why are you so happy? Did you win the lottery?" Aria asks while she sips coffee.

"No, I didn't. I'm happy, you know why," I say while I smile at Aria.

"But we don't know, Em. Spit it out! I'm getting nervous," Hanna says eagerly. Spencer is willing to know what really happened too.

"I broke up with Ben." They're looking astonishedly at me. I guess even Aria didn't see this coming.

"Whaaaaaat?" Hanna says open-mouthed.

"I have been meaning to do that for a long time. I broke up with him yesterday, and I feel great."

"Are you serious? I thought you loved him," Spencer adds looking confused.

"I don't want to lie to you anymore, guys. I want to tell you something that's been worrying me a lot, but I'm fed up with it. It's just... I… I just… like… girls," I say shyly.

Hanna and Spencer are looking at me with her eyes wide open. I think Spencer is not even breathing.

"Come on, guys. Don't tell me you didn't suspect anything. I had a feeling there was something weird going on, she's like obsessed over Paige," Aria says shaking her head.

"How could you tell me something like that before going to class? Now I won't be able to concentrate all day. Darn!" Hanna says smiling at me. "Do you want a hug? I don't know what we should do in this kind of situation," she adds.

"No, I'm okay, guys," I insist smiling at Hanna.

"I need to get used to it, I'm in shock, Em. I didn't expect this, so I don't know what to say. But if you're sure about it and you're happy, I'm happy for you," Spencer adds staring at me almost paralyzed.

"Thanks, guys. I'm sorry, but I got to go or I'll be late to my English class."

"We want more details, Em. We should meet for a coffee after class. What do you say?" Hanna asks. She's so gossip that she won't accept if I tell her that I have plans.

"Okay. I'll text you later. See you!" I say waving at them.

I knew they were gonna take it well, but that doesn't mean I wasn't nervous about saying it out loud. Being honest about myself feels fantastic.

I go up the stairs and I head towards my locker. I can't believe what my eyes are seeing. Ben is talking to Paige and he doesn't seem happy. I approach them as quickly as I can.

"What is going on here?" I ask frowning. Paige is looking down and Ben is annoyed by something.

"Did you break up with me because of her? You've been spending a lot of time together and you suddenly break up with me after Alison outed her. Am I wrong?" he asks nervously.

"What the hell are you talking about? I don't want to be with you, that's all. Don't make up stories, Ben. Leave her alone," I say angrily.

Paige doesn't say a word, she's just looking at the floor. This is a really awkward moment I didn't want to deal with, but I guess today it's my lucky day. I keep staring at him, he looks back and he slams his locker before walking away.

"Are you okay? I'm so sorry, Paige," I tell her while I grab her arm. When I look up I see Alison walking up the hall, she's looking at me with that evil smile I hate so much.

"Well, well, well… Well done, Em! I didn't expect you wouldn't hide your feelings for No Neck, dear Emily. You should know I made her a favor, now every teen lesbian at the school is lining for her," she says laughing at us.

"Why don't you shut the fuck up?" I'm so angry, dealing with Ben was annoying but I'm sick of Alison and her stupid remarks.

"Calm down, honey. I'm just happy for you," she says ironically.

"Why don't you mind your own business? Why do you keep playing with us? Leave us alone."

"It's fun, and I'm bored. As simple as that," she adds grinning.

"Is it possible that the reason why you are doing this is because you are jealous?" I ask staring at her defiantly. She doesn't answer instantly, she stares at me for a minute before opening her mouth.

"You got me!" she exclaims ironically. "I wouldn't want to be with you even if I had this sickness you suffer," she adds bitterly. "By the way, did you tell your parents that you like this scar monster?"

"Leave now or you'll regret it, Frodo," Paige says angrily.

"Okay, I'll leave, but I'd tell my parents if I were you. Life is short," she says smiling at me.

The morning started with a perfect date with the girl of my dreams, but after the arguments with Ben and Alison I'm not feeling as happy as I was before. But the nightmare is not over yet. The worst part of the day includes a text from my mother:

"**I just received a letter that says that you're gay and you're dating someone named Paige? Is this a prank? Come home as soon as possible."**

"_Fucking Alison! She didn't even give me the chance to come out to my parents."_ I think to myself.

**To be continued…**


	13. Chapter 13: Don't give up

**Thanks for your reviews, favourites and follows! You're awesome. :)**

**First of all, I'm so sorry I didn't update sooner, but I had a hectic week. :( I hope this update is worth the wait. I promise I'll try to update as soon as possible. :)**

**I write for you, so give me ideas for upcoming chapters. Don't be shy. :D**

**Don't forget I am not a native English speaker, so I apologize in advance for my grammar mistakes. **

**Enjoy, guys!**

** : Thank you! I'm glad you liked the chapter. About the message, you'll know who the traitor was. xD**

** : ¡Gracias! Alison es el Diablo en persona. Jaja. Espero que este capítulo os deje con ganas de más. :)**

**glorymania: Do you really hate Alison? :D The coming out is gonna be hard for Emily, but she finally decides to be brave.**

**Enjoy!**

**Emily's POV**

I won't deny I'm terrified about the conversation with my mom. I'm not sure who sent that stupid message, but I bet it was Alison's plan to out me like that. I mean, Ben isn't sure about my feelings about Paige and he's not as calculating as Alison, he wouldn't be capable of doing such incredibly evil things. Anyway, I've been wanting to tell my mom, so I guess this is the universe trying to tell me to be honest and brave. When I park my car it starts raining heavily, so I run towards the front door and I open the door with shaking hands. I know that when I open the door and I see her face the situation will be very tense, but I'll have to handle the situation bravely, just like Paige did.

"Hi," I say with my eyes on the floor while I avert my eyes. I don't see my mom's face expression, but I suppose she's not happy about the message.

"Can you explain this to me?" I raise my eyes and I look at her. She's pointing at a sheet of paper with a furious look.

"I guess someone wanted to play a practical joke on me. Calm down, mom," I insist while I approach her and I read that damned note. Now I'm positive it was Alison who wrote it, she didn't even try to hide it, it's clearly her handwriting. The fact that she wanted to know that it was her makes me even more furious. She could've written the message on the computer, this way I wouldn't know who the sender was, but she's so mean that she made sure I knew she acted out of a desire for revenge because I confronted her this morning.

"Why would someone do that?" she adds looking at me surprisedly.

"I don't know. But I don't understand why you're so angry. What if it was true? I mean, it wouldn't be the end of the world, mom." She frowns, she didn't like what I just said, I can see it in her eyes.

"To be honest, I wouldn't like having a gay daughter. I don't understand what is wrong with these people. I mean, I think they just want to be the center of attention, otherwise they wouldn't choose that lifestyle. I'm glad you chose to be with a boy, that's just the way it's always been, girls dating boys."

I can't believe what I hear, it's like my mom is a different person. I knew it wouldn't be easy, but I didn't expect this terrible attitude.

"Are you kidding me? Since when are you so homophobic?" I say yelling angrily at her.

"I don't like them, that's all."

"Then I guess you don't like your own daughter," I add staring at her. I'm feeling very nervous, but I couldn't stand her disgusting hate speech. I won't tolerate that kind of attitude in front of me, even if she's my mother.

She is in shock, she didn't see it coming. She's flabbergasted, she looks at me with her eyes wide open, but she can't get a word out.

"Do you hate your own daughter?" I ask staring at her and waiting for her answer.

"I… Is… Is this… Is this a joke?" she says stuttering.

"No, it's not a joke. I like girls, mom."

"No, you're not, you're dating Ben," she insists.

"I WAS dating Ben. That relationship is a thing of the past, I was confused and I was afraid of coming out. But I've known I'm a lesbian for a long time. I won't hide it just because people are closed-minded. I just want to be happy, like everybody else. Who cares if I'm happy with a girl? I decide how I live, I don't want to be a bitter person for the rest of my life."

"You're confused, you're young, you'll find a boy that you like. You got to be patient, honey."

"Did you hear what I just said, mom? I'm gay, I don't like boys," I yell at her. I've never been so pissed off at her. It sucks that she treats me so bad even if I'm the same person. I don't get it. I thought she just wants me to be happy, like all parents do.

"Don't talk nonsense," she says angrily.

When I'm about to head my bedroom someone rings the bell. My mom opens the door and my heart stops when I see her. I didn't remember about our date. She told me that she'd pick me up after school, but I forgot about it when my mom sent me that text.

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Fields. Is Emily at home? She doesn't pick up the phone," Paige says nicely with her irresistible smile. My heart is racing and I'm paralyzed.

"Who are you?" she asks her rudely.

"I'm Paige McCullers. Can I talk to her, please?"

"So… you're Paige. She won't talk to you. Why don't you go home, dear?" She adds sarcastically.

"Enough, mom! I'm sick of it," I yell at her. I walk towards the door and when I'm about to let Paige in my mom closes the door.

"We need to talk, Emily. She'll have to wait."

"Are you serious? Why are you so mean? I'm the same person I was yesterday, mom. I'm still your daughter. What is wrong with you?" I ask with a sad expression in my face. I'm angry at her, but right now I'm hurt because of her behaviour.

"There's nothing wrong with me. You're the one who decided to ruin your life."

We keep talking for about half an hour. She tries not to raise her voice, at least we're having a civilized conversation, but she keeps saying that she doesn't approve my "choice". This is a lost cause, I don't know why I'm wasting my time trying to convince her that it's not a sin to be gay.

"It was very hard for me to come out, mom. I just wanted you to be more understanding, but this is worthless," I add staring at her with a very serious expression. "I need to get some air," I say while I grab my sweater and I open the door.

"Don't you dare to leave. This conversation is not over," she exclaims defiantly.

"I'm not a kid anymore, I won't shut myself away in my room just because you're a reactionary. It's 2012, for God's sake!"

"I'm still your mother. If you leave now, don't you dare to come back home," she threatens me. I look daggers at her, I open the door and I slam it. My patience ran out with those last words she mentioned.

"I thought you had left. Are you okay?" I ask Paige. It's raining a lot and she is sitting on the stairs of my front yard. She's soaked, but I guess she didn't mind to catch a cold.

"I'm fine, but I should be the one asking questions to you. What happened? I heard you two yelling at each other."

"We'll get in my car and I'll tell you everything, okay?" She nods at me, I get the car keys and I open the door. We get in it and I turn on the engine.

"So… Are you going to tell me what is going on? I was worried about you."

"I came out to my mom. I mean, Alison basically told her that I was seeing you."

"Whaaaaat?" she says yelling with her eyes wide open. "Are you saying that…?" she adds before I interrupt her.

"Yeah, I told her that I'm gay, Paige. She didn't take it very well, though," I add while she holds my hand tightly.

"Be patient with her, Em. You just told her, she needs time. Everything will be fine," she adds, caressing my arm.

"The rain drenched you, you're going to get a pneumonia. Take off your t-shirt. Here," I say while I hand her my sweater.

"I know I'm hot, but if you want to see me naked, just say so. Don't make excuses," she adds giggling.

"Don't get all cocky with me, Paigey," I say smiling. I can't stop staring at her perfect flat abs when she takes her t-shirt off.

"Don't look at me like that, I'm going to blush," she says smiling shyly.

"What are you talking about?" I say ironically. I lean in to kiss her but she suddenly looks down.

"Your mom is looking, Em."

"And? Which side are you on?" I say frowning.

"I'm on your side, but you've to understand that is not easy for her," she adds while she holds my hand.

"She practically said that I was disgusting, Paige. She doesn't deserve my respect," I exclaim angrily.

"I get it, Em. Why don't we go somewhere and we talk about it?"

"Yeah, sure. Where do you want to go?"

"I don't mind. I'd love to have a hot cup of coffee. I leave it up to you to choose the café," she adds winking at me.

"Okay," I say smiling at her. She couldn't be more adorable. I don't get why my mom can't understand that I'm into this wonderful girl.

We get to the café and there's only one table unoccupied, so we hurry up and we take a seat. I'm starving, so we order some coffee and two chocolate muffins.

"So… How are you feeling?" she asks worryingly.

"I've been better. But I feel relieved, I can be myself now, I don't have to hide."

"What did your mother say?"

"She was awful, I'm quite sure she hates me. And my dad just got deployed to God knows where, so I don't know if I'll be strong enough to deal with her."

"I know you're mad at her, but I'm sure she's regretting everything she said to you. She didn't see it coming, but she's your mom, she loves you, Em. By the way, you're welcome to stay at my house." she adds nicely.

"I'm not so sure about it, I didn't expect that," I add sadly. "Thank you for the invitation, but I think your dad may suffer a heart attack if he knew I'd sleeping in her daughter's bedroom," I giggle.

"Yeah, you're right. If you finally decide to sleep in your car, let me know. I'll keep you company," she says smiling while she finishes eating her muffin.

"Do you know you're adorable, Paige McCullers?" I tell her while I intertwine my fingers with hers. "I'm dying to kiss you right now," I say lowering my voice and biting my lips.

"This place is crowded, Em," she says caressing my hand and smiling at me.

"I don't care. Just kiss me," I insist staring at her perfect lips.

She's a little hesitant at first but she finally approaches me and kisses me softly. I kiss her back and my heart is pounding so loud that I can't hear anything else.

"So… How does it feel being out?" she says giggling.

"It feels great. Now you won't get rid of me."

She laughs and right after that I hear my phone ringing.

"Hi, Spence. What's up?" I ask her while I tap my fingers on the table.

"Why aren't you answering the calls? I've been trying to reach you, I was worried."

"I'm sorry, it's been a hectic day. I didn't hear the phone."

"Did you talk to your mother? She's preoccupied, she called me asking if I knew where you were. Call her right now, please. She's going to drive me crazy."

"I'm sorry, but I won't. I'm not in the mood for her bullshit. She knows, Spence."

"What are you talking about? What does she know?"

"I came out to her. She took it the wrong way and didn't stop saying nonsense. I can't go home, I'm with Paige right now."

"Are you saying you won't go home? Were are you going to sleep, Em?" I've the sense that she's worried.

"I don't know. I'll figure it out later. But I assure you I won't go home."

"What do you say if you crash at my place? When you get bored of McCullers come here and we'll order Chinese. After that you'll tell me everything that happened. I've got popcorn," she says laughing.

"Thanks, Spence. I really appreciate your offer. I'll be there in about an hour. You're a great friend."

"Okay, I'll be waiting for you. Bye, Em!"

"Bye."

Spencer was right, she's been calling me all afternoon. And my mom called me ten times too. I also got a text from her.

"**I'm so sorry, honey. I was wrong, you're beautiful the way you are. Please, come home."**

I don't know if she's being honest, but she'll have to wait until tomorrow. Spencer's plan is much more appealing than having to deal with my mom's insecurities and stupid remarks.

"I guess you're crashing at Spencer's, right?"

"Yeah, I am. Are you mad at me?"

"No, I'm not. I just want you to be safe, and I know Spencer will take care of you."

"Let's go then. I'll drive you home and after that I'll meet Spencer, all right?"

She nods at me while we stand up. After leaving the café we get in my car and I turn on the engine. I spend the ride staring at the perfect girl right next to me.

"You're doing it again," Paige says smiling at me.

"I can't help it," I say giggling. "Okay, get out of here," I tell her when we get to her place.

"Are you kicking me out?" she says chuckling.

She leans on me and starts kissing my neck. I can't help but moan, she's driving me crazy. I hold her face and I give her a deep kiss till I leave her breathless.

"I know you'll miss me a lot, but Spence is waiting for me. I'll call you tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay, but call me if you need anything, not matter what time is it. I'll keep an eye on my phone."

"Yeah, I will. Thanks, Paigey," I add caressing her cheek.

She kisses me goodbye and I smile at her.

"Bye, Em. Have fun with Hastings."

"I will. Bye, Paigey."

It's raining a lot and it's very dark, so I slow down and concentrate on the cars around me. The traffic light turns red so I brake and I wait a few minutes. When it turns green I accelerate the car and I suddenly hear a loud noise and the airbags of the car inflate. The last thing I remember is someone talking to me and trying to keep me awake. But I can't keep my eyes open, closing them feels much better than having to put up with the pain I'm feeling.

**To be continued… **


	14. Chapter 14: Deal with me

**Thanks for your reviews, favourites and follows! You're awesome. :)**

**I'm so sorry I didn't update sooner, but I'm very busy and I need to sleep. xD I promise I'll try to update as soon as possible, probably this weekend. :)**

**Besides, I owe you one good chapter, 'cause this one is really short, but I wanted to publish a chapter (even if it's brief) so you don't have to wait more days. This chapter isn't as interesting as the previous one, but I guarantee you next chapter will be more intriguing.**

**Don't forget I am not a native English speaker, so I apologize in advance for my grammar mistakes. **

** : No me des tantas malas ideas. Jajaja. Sería muy cruel por mi parte dejarla en coma después del infierno que han tenido que pasar. ¡Muchas gracias a ti por tus comentarios, me alegras el día. :)**

** .9: Paige is adorable, but let's see if Pam thinks the same about her. :D**

**Guest: Thank you! I'm glad you like the story.**

**del: The most important thing is that Emily is out. Pam will come around eventually.**

**HOOBASTOO: Here's another chapter for you. Thanks!**

** : Thank you very much! I'm glad you liked the chapter. :)**

**Enjoy!**

**Paige's POV**

Today has been a surprisingly great day. Emily bravely came out to her mother, even if her mother didn't accept her daughter's honesty. Her mom basically said that she was ashamed of her daughter, but Emily confronted her and that is really important to me, because it means that she's really sure about her feelings. I'd prefer if we had had dinner together, but staying at Spencer's was a good idea too. She needs her friends more than ever now that her mom is not backing her. I really hope her mom comes to her senses, because I know how it feels to have a parent that doesn't approve your sexuality. Seeing my father everyday is really hurtful, he stares at me like I'm a serial killer, and I'm sick of it. Luckily, these last days he's not been so mean to me, probably because Mark is staying at home and he doesn't want my cousin to think that he's so rude.

I've a wide smile in my face when I'm about to open the front door, that's how happy I'm with Emily's courage. If my dad thinks I'm a sinner just because I love that perfect girl, then I'm glad to go to hell, 'cause this relationship is worth it.

"Hi," I say to Mark, who is sitting on the couch watching TV.

"Hi. How was your day?" he asks smiling at me. I don't know if he saw the glow of happiness on my face or he's just being nice.

"It was good. How about you?"

"I met a friend who lives a few miles from Rosewood, we just had coffee and catch up. But let's talk about you. Why are you so happy?" he adds giggling.

"Emily is finally out, Mark. I can be with her, everything is so perfect. Well… not everything is good. I mean, her mom didn't take it well, just like, you know…" I say pointing at a framed picture of my dad next to the TV.

"That's great, Em. I'm so happy about you," he says nicely.

"Why are you so happy about?" My dad adds when he unexpectedly walks in the living room.

"It's nothing. Emily had a great day, I was just happy to see her smiley face," Mark adds nicely.

"I hope you're hungry, we're having dinner right now. We were waiting for you. Where were you?" he asks with a disdainful gesture.

"I was studying at the library," I add staring at him angrily.

"Yeah, sure," he says sarcastically. Then he leaves not saying a word. I look at Mark and I roll my eyes, he smiles at me.

"Let's go, Paigey. I'm starving because you were late. Shame on you!" he says laughing loudly. I smack him on the head and he gives me a push while he keeps laughing. When we walk in the kitchen my mom is setting the table and singing a song that's playing on the radio.

"Hi, honey. Where were you? I thought you weren't coming home for dinner."

"She was studying, that's what she says," my dad adds sarcastically.

"Yeah, I was studying, dad. What is your problem?" I ask annoyingly.

"Okay, calm down both of you. Let's eat dinner peacefully, please," my mom says looking at both of us.

We all take a seat and we start eating in silence, I guess we're really hungry. It doesn't bother me at all, I prefer to have a quiet dinner instead of listening to my dad's stupid remarks.

"So, how was your day, Mark? Are you liking Rosewood? my mom asks trying to break the ice. I know she's feeling uncomfortable, she enjoys talking and these awkward silences make her very nervous.

"It was fine, I had coffee with a friend. And of course I like Rosewood, it's very peaceful and nice."

"How about you, honey?" she asks staring at me.

"It was great, I spent almost all day with Emily," I add looking at my dad and smiling cheerfully. I know I shouldn't provoke him, but it feels so great to make him clear that I like her. My mom looks at me frowning, she knows I did it on purpose.

"I guess Mark's company didn't help with your little problem. Don't worry, you just need to grow up, you're a kid," he says smiling lightly.

"Actually… I don't mind her being gay," Mark adds. I didn't see that coming. He didn't need to do that to protect me, now he's going to be very mad at him.

"What are you talking about?" my dad asks looking daggers at him.

"I'm not who you think I am. I'm not the Christian young my parents brag about. I really don't care about religion. And I don't care if my cousin is gay, I don't see why that is a problem. Your daughter is perfect, she has no flaws."

My dad's face is turning red with anger. I know this will end badly, and I'm not the only one, my mom is also concerned about his reaction.

"I'm not hungry, excuse me," he adds calmly. He stands up, he walks upstairs and he slams the door. We're speechless, he just left and didn't say anything about my disgusting "lifestyle" or Mark being wrong about Christian values and their importance in everyone's life.

"Don't worry, Mark. You didn't do anything wrong, he gets angry very easily, but don't be offended. I'm sure tomorrow he'll be nicer to you."

"Mom, you can go, I'll do the dishes. You're tired, you need some rest." I say staring at her and caressing her shoulder.

"Your phone is beeping, Em," she adds pointing at the phone that's on the table while she is about to go upstairs. It's a text, I suppose Emily's bored and she wants to talk to somebody that's not Spencer. From what I heard, sometimes Spencer likes to talk about things that common teenagers don't know about, more like intellectual stuff.

"**Hey! It's Spencer. Is Emily still with you? She was supposed to be here. Did you kidnap her? xD"**

"**No, she's not with me. She left about half an hour ago. Did you call her? Maybe she decided to go home and try to make up with her mom," I reply.**

The phone beeps again. I'm starting to get worried and Mark realizes something is wrong.

"What is it, Paige? Did something happen?" he asks while he approaches me.

"I don't know. Emily was supposed to go to Spencer's, but she didn't show up, and she left almost half an hour ago," I add looking very worried.

"Maybe she decided to go somewhere else. Don't worry, Paige."

Suddenly I feel my phone is beeping.

"**She doesn't pick up. I called her home, but it seems her mom is not at home. That's weird. I'll call you as soon as I hear where she is. Don't worry, I'm sure she's fine."**

I call her as soon as I finish reading Spencer's text. She doesn't answer. I keep calling for 15 minutes, but she doesn't pick up. I don't know where she is, but I'm getting very nervous.

"Stop it, Paige. She's not answering the phone, you're wasting your time. Just go to sleep and call again tomorrow. I'm sure she's just having dinner with her mom."

"Then, why didn't she call Spencer to tell her that? It doesn't make any sense. I can't stay here and wait, I want to know what happened. I'm going to her house."

"Do you really think your parents will let you go there? It's dark outside, and tomorrow you got to go to school. I know you're worried about her, but I'm telling you it's not a good decision," he says caressing my shoulder.

"Okay, but I don't think I'll be able to sleep," I say sadly.

I go upstairs and I get into bed, even though I know I won't sleep a wink if I keep thinking about Emily. I leave my phone on the bedside table, 'cause I know Spencer may call. I close my eyes, but her smile is the only thing that comes to mind. I spend almost four hours thinking about her and trying to calm down, and I finally fall asleep at about 3 AM. After a few hours of sleep I wake up before the alarm clock rings. I rub my eyes and I grab my cell. Spencer sent a text one hour ago, but I guess I was so tired that I didn't hear the cell beeping.

"**Emily's okay. She's in the hospital, she got into a car accident, but she's fine. I didn't call you 'cause I knew you'd be sleeping. Don't worry, I assure you she's fine."**

My heart stops beating for a few seconds, I can't believe she was hurt and I was sleeping like nothing happened. It's six in the morning, but I can't wait anymore, I'll call Spencer, I just need to see she's feeling okay. I get dressed quickly and I leave a note on the kitchen so my mom knows I left. After calling Spencer I grab the car keys and get in the car. Room 212, here I go.

The hospital is not very far from my house, so I get there in about 10 minutes. I know it's very early, there isn't a soul on the halls of the hospital. But when I'm getting to her room I see Hanna, Aria and Spencer sitting outside. Suddenly the room door opens and I see Pamela Fields approaching them. When she's talking to Emily's friends she turns her head and she stares at me. Her eyes are red and puffy from crying, but I don't know if she's looking directly at me trying to tell me to leave or if she wants me to stay. I don't care about her, I won't leave this hospital until I see her.


	15. Chapter 15: I was waiting for you

**Thanks for your reviews, favourites and follows! You make my day. :)**

**I told you I'd update soon, so I owed you this chapter. xD It's not very long, but it's more interesting than the one before. I'll try to update as soon as possible, but I got a really busy weekend, so be patient, please. :)**

**Don't forget I am not a native English speaker, so I apologize in advance for my grammar mistakes. **

** : Yeah, I'm addicted to cliffhangers. This time I didn't do anything like that, though. Pam VS. Paige. Let's see who wins. :D**

** : Aquí tienes la respuesta de si Emily está bien y de la tan esperada conversación. xD Muchas gracias por tu apoyo. :)**

**del: I wrote last chapter so quickly that I didn't have time to re-read it, so it's possible I made some mistake. :) I hope the long awaited conversation don't let you down. LOL**

**Enjoy, guys!**

**Paige's POV**

I don't like hospitals, I don't think anyone in the world likes the typical smell of these places. And let's not forget about people waiting in the halls and waiting rooms, most of them having to hear horrible news about their loved ones. My grandma died in a hospital five years ago, so I guess that's why I hate hospitals so much. I couldn't work in a place like this, that's why I really appreciate doctor's, nurse's and everybody else's work, because their goal is to cure sick people.

However, this time I'm not feeling bad because of the smell or the bad memories about my grandma's death, I'm panicking because Pamela Fields is right there and I don't want to talk to her. I suppose she's feeling bad because her daughter was involved in a car accident after having a fight with her, so now it's not the best time to have a serious conversation with her. That conversation will have to wait, I just want to make sure Emily is fine, I don't want drama today. I'm exhausted and I'm not in the mood to have the same worthless conversation I'm so tired of having with my dad. I knew she would be here, she's her mom, but I didn't realize it'd so hard to face her.

Spencer is waving at me and calling my name, but I'm standing still, I don't know what to do.

"Come here, McCullers!" Spencer yells at me gesturing to come closer.

I start walking slowly, but Spencer finally approaches me at a brisk pace.

"What is wrong with you? It seems like you are on drugs," she says smiling at me. "I told you she's fine, she just got some scars and bruises because of the impact, but the doctor run some tests and she's fine."

"Thank God she's okay. Did you talk to her?"

"Yeah, we did. She was really tired, so she slept almost all night, but she woke up half an hour ago. Do you want to see her?" she asks nicely.

"Yeah, sure. But… I don't know if…" I say looking at Pamela.

"Are you afraid of her mother? Don't be a moron, McCullers. She's the nicest woman in the Earth," she adds chuckling.

"Yeah, she's nice with you. But you're not her daughter's girlfriend."

"She'll come around, she just needs to adjust to the idea of her daughter dating a girl. Wait, did you say you're dating her?" she says surprisedly.

"Well… ummmm… I don't know, Hastings!" I say loudly. "You're making me nervous. Stop it. I don't know if we're dating, it's not official, so don't say anything." She keeps laughing at me, but she's being friendly, so I'm not mad at her.

"Okay, calm down. I was mocking you, I'm glad you are Emily's best friend, friend with benefits or whatever you want to call your relationship," she says staring at me. "So, do you want to see her? Her mom won't bite you, she's inoffensive."

"Yeah, of course I want to see her."

"The three of us are leaving, we got to go home to have a shower and to grab a bite before going to school. Do you want me to come with you?" she adds nicely.

"No, thanks, Spencer. I got to do it alone."

"Okay. Good luck," she says touching my shoulder. "Hey, guys, let's go, I'm hungry," Spencer yells at Aria and Hanna. The other two girls say goodbye to Emily's mom and they approach us.

"Bye, Paige," the three of them say in unison while they walk next to me.

"See you later," I add nodding at Spencer.

Pamela Fields is sitting outside the room, she's staring at the floor. She knows I'm there, and she knows I'll approach her eventually, but I suppose she wants to avoid getting into arguments with me when her daughter is lying on a hospital bed.

The time has come to pluck up courage and face her. I take a deep breath and I start walking towards the room focusing my attention on counting the steps to get to her.

"Hi," I tell her after raising my head.

"Hi," she replies.

"I don't want to bother you, I just want to see if she's fine," I add staring at her. She's nervous, she's tapping her fingers on the chair where she's sitting.

"Then do it. You don't need my permission. But that doesn't mean I like you," she adds frowning.

"I don't understand why you say you don't like me, you don't know me." I don't get why she's being so rude. I care about her daughter, but she doesn't want to give me a chance to prove her that I want the best for Emily.

"But I know your father, and I don't like him."

"I couldn't agree more, he can be stupid sometimes. But that doesn't mean I'm like my dad, you didn't even give me the chance to get to know me."

"I'm not interested in getting to know you. I love my daughter, but she's not thinking clearly."

"Okay, I realize you don't like me just because I'm a girl. It's not worth taking the time to argue with you, Ms. Fields. But if you keep acting this way you'll lose her. It's up to you."

"I want her to be happy, but she won't be happy with you. It's that simple," she adds staring at me.

"We'll see what fate has in store for us. It was a pleasure talking to you. Goodbye," I add just before opening the room door and walking in to see her. Her mom didn't see it coming, I'm really proud of my mature reaction. I'm sure I made a very good impression on her, even if she doesn't like that I'm the girl that "converted" her straight daughter.

When I walk in the room she's got her eyes closed. I thought she was awake, but I approach her trying not to make any noise.

"I'm not sleeping, dummy," she says smiling lightly.

"Hi. How are you feeling?" I ask while I sit on the chair that's next to her bed.

"I'm aching all over, but they gave some painkillers and now I feel much better." He's got scars all over her arms and some bruises in her face, but she's still as beautiful as always.

"What happened? I want to know every little detail," I tell her with my eyes wide open.

"Some drunk girl jumped a red light in an intersection and her car run into mine. But I'm fine, I'm just tired, I'll be okay. What about you? Didn't you sleep all night? You look like shit," she says giggling and pointing at the bags under my eyes.

"Thank you, you're so nice," I say sarcastically. "I couldn't sleep 'cause Spencer told me that you didn't show up and I was worried because I thought something bad happened to you."

"You're the cutest person I've ever known. Did you know that?" she adds smiling at me and holding my hand.

"Does it hurt? How did this happen?" I ask while I touch the scars she's got on her left arm carefully and I look her in the eye.

"The car window shattered and my arm happened to be there. But the wounds are healing, there's nothing to worry about. The doctor told me that he'll probably discharge me this afternoon," she adds smiling at me. "This morning when I woke up I just wanted to see you. I didn't think you'd come, but you're full of surprises, Paigey," she says. She comes closer to me and caresses my face very gently.

"I wanted to see you too, Em. I missed you," I reply while I caress the hand that she placed on my face.

"Come closer," she says with her sexy voice.

"Stop, Em." She looks at me frowning, she clearly didn't like my comment.

"What's wrong? I just wanted to kiss you. Why did you do that?"

"I don't want to hurt you, you've got bruises all over your face, and…" I say doubtfully when she interrupts me.

"And what?" she says looking at me angrily.

"Your mom is outside, she could see us. I don't want to make her feel uncomfortable."

"I don't care about that. She apologized to me, we're good. I think she's starting to realize you're a good influence. And she didn't stop you when you came to see me, right?" she asks raising her eyebrows.

"Yeah, she didn't. She was nice to me," I lie. I know I shouldn't lie to her, but I don't want to tell her that her mom doesn't approve whatever is happening between the two of us. She got into a car accident and she was angry at her mom because of her "little secret", I don't want her to break down after all she's been through.

"So… will you give me a kiss, Paigey?" she asks before her face splits into a wide smile. I smile back and I lean on to kiss her carefully. Suddenly the door opens and her mom freezes when she sees me kissing her little girl.

"I… I'm sorry… I was just…" she says stuttering. After saying that she turns around and she leaves closing the door. Emily bursts out laughing when she sees my astonishment face.

"Great timing, Paigey! You've just won over your mother-in-law," she says chuckling.

"Shit! Now she'll hate me even more."

"But you said she was nice to you. Are you saying that…?"

"No, she was nice, Em," I say interrupting her. "Wait, mother-in-law? Does that mean you're my…"

"Yeah, you're my girlfriend. I thought it was clear we're dating. Do you want me to sign a paper in front of my lawyer?" she jokes.

"No, I get it, Fields," I add smiling at her. "I know you'll miss me, but I got to leave or I'll be late to first period because of you."

"Don't flatter yourself. I won't miss you at all," she adds chuckling.

"Okay, have some rest, Em. I'll call you after school, okay?" I stand up and grab my bag to leave the room. I look at her and she's looking me up and down.

"Are you checking me out?" I ask smiling at her.

"I couldn't help it, you're gorgeous. I plead guilty," she jokes.

"The most beautiful girl in Rosewood said…" I add giggling. "Bye, gorgeous," I say while I open the door and I wave at her.

Her mom is sitting outside, I guess she's trying to get over the shock of the kiss she just witnessed.

"Bye," I say looking at her in the eye. She doesn't say anything, she just stands up and walks in Emily's room. I don't mind if she's rude to me, I was raised a well-mannered girl and I'll keep talking to her even if she ignores me.

**Emily's POV**

I don't know if I'm feeling much better because the nurse gave me a fast-acting painkiller or it's because of Paige's visit. Anyway, I'm so happy my mom is finally accepting Paige.

"Hi," I say when my mom enters the room and sits on the chair Paige was sitting just a minute ago.

"Hi. How are you feeling?"

"I'm great, mom. I'm willing to go home, though."

"Yeah, I know. Be patient, we'll leave as soon as the doctor says you're okay, and that may happen in a few hours."

"Mom… I'm happy you came around about, you know…"

"I still don't understand what you're doing with your life, Emily," she says with a sad face expression.

"But I thought…"

"I love you, honey. But that doesn't mean I like the fact that you're dating that girl."

"She has a name, mom. Her name is Paige," I yell at her angrily. Why is he torturing me?

"I'm sorry, Emily. I guess I need time to get used to the idea of your new lifestyle."

"Please, mom. I'm just asking you to make an effort, she's great," I say while I caress her hand.

"I got to admit she's brave and mature. We had a brief conversation when she got here and she really impressed me," she says shyly. I knew Paige was lying when she said that my mom was nice to her. I love her even more when she's so overprotective.

"You'll like her, mom. She's flawless," I add smiling at her.

"Can we change the subject, please? I'm not ready to have this conversation yet."

"I won't change the subject because you don't feel comfortable talking about my girlfriend. You'll have to deal with it sooner or later," I add angrily. "By the way, I'm thinking of inviting her over for dinner," I say staring at her. She's not very enthusiastic about the idea, but she'll have to put up with it, like it or not.

**To be continued…**


	16. Chapter 16: Who are you talking about?

**Thanks for your support, guys! You make my day. :)**

**I'll try to update as soon as possible, but you know I'm very busy from Monday to Friday, so be patient, please. ;)**

**Don't forget I am not a native English speaker, so I apologize in advance for my grammar mistakes. **

**glorymania: Emily is fighting so hard, she won't give up until she gets what she wants. :)**

** : Thank you! They're both adorable. The long-awaited dinner will have to wait till next chapter. :D**

**del: That's what I really think about the medical staff in hospitals, I really appreciate their dedication and their hard work to take care of people they don't know. It's great! Paige's opinions were in fact mine. :)**

**DontRunAway: Thanks! ;) I'm glad you like the story.**

**Enjoy!**

**Paige's POV**

In just five minutes today's last class is gonna end, and I can only think of Emily. I told her I'd call to know how she's doing after last night's accident, but my phone's been beeping, and I'm pretty sure it's Emily. When the ring bells I take all my things and I put them in the bag I'm carrying. After I leave the classroom I grab the cell and I see that I got a text from Emily.

"**I've got a surprise for you. Come to the parking lot after class."**

I speed up because I imagine what the surprise is about. As I was imagining, when I walk down stairs I see she's waving at me from inside her car. I approach her and I open the co-driver door to get inside.

"Hi, gorgeous!" she says happily while she hugs me. I hug her back but I try to do it softly, I know she's still sore. "I'm okay, you can hug me tightly, Paigey," she adds smiling at me.

"So… the doctor discharged you," I say looking at her surprisedly. "Are you sure you're okay? Maybe you should be resting at home. I could walk home, I don't need you to pick me up."

"Are you complaining? I wanted to surprise you and I needed to see your beautiful face," she adds staring at my eyes. I realize she's looking at my lips too, and she suddenly leans over and kisses me. Her lips taste like strawberries, from her lip gloss, and she smells great. I feel the urge to kiss her back with passion, but I want to treat her delicately, so I stop right away.

"Do you know the whole school might be looking at us right now?" I ask giggling and caressing her hand.

"Because two hot girls are kissing inside a car? Do you think so?" she jokes and she leans again to kiss my neck. I can't describe how I feel when she does that, but I'm sure it's the best feeling in the world.

"I asked if you were feeling better. You didn't answer," I say smiling at her while I caress the back of her neck.

"I feel great. Can't you see? Stop worrying about me. How was your day?"

"Well… Math class was very interesting," I say with a grin across my face.

"Are your serious? Oh, God, you couldn't be more adorable. I find that weirdly attractive," she adds smiling and holding my hand.

"Okay, who's the weirdo now? Are you saying that you find me more attractive because I like math? I roll my eyes and I shake my head.

"You're a dork, McCullers," he says chuckling. She takes a deep breath and she continues speaking. "I didn't come here only to give you a ride home. I've been thinking and I want you to come over for dinner tonight," she adds staring at me.

"But… Isn't your mother at home?" I ask looking at her very confused.

"Yeah, sure. That's why I want you to come, because I want my mom to get to know the fantastic girl I'm dating," she says showing a with a wide smile on her face.

"Em… Don't you think you're putting too much pressure on your mom? I mean, she found out about us yesterday, I don't think sharing a meal with her is a very good idea. We've got all the time in the world. One step at a time, there's no need to rush things." I want to support her, but I'm not ready to face a tense situation. She's not happy about it, she's frowning and her face expression changes in the twinkling of an eye.

"Too much pressure? She's got to accept the fact that our relationship is as serious as any other heterosexual couple."

"You're right about that, but I don't know if your plan will work."

"You're smart, funny, brave, caring, loving… Why won't she like you?"

"I don't know… Maybe because of the fact that I'm a girl," I say looking at her sad eyes.

"She'll like you, Paige. If you accept the invitation I assure you that you can pick any other day and I'll do whatever you want me to. I'll be your slave. I'm begging you," she insists with her sad puppy eyes.

"Okay, you win. There's a little problem though. Mark is leaving tomorrow and he wants to have dinner with me tonight. What about tomorrow?"

"Okay, go have dinner with your cousin. But don't make any plans for tomorrow, you're having dinner with us, okay?"

"Yeah, I promise I'll be there. Now, can you please drive me home? Mark wants to watch a movie before having dinner, and he doesn't like waiting," I add smiling.

"Yeah, sure. Do you know what dress you'll be wearing for tomorrow's dinner?"

"What?" I ask loudly with my eyes wide open. "I… don't…" I say when she interrupts me.

"I was kidding, Paige. You should have seen your frightened face," she adds laughing loudly. "You can wear whatever you want, dummy."

**Emily's POV**

I think I've got the best girlfriend ever. If my mom knew how caring she is, she wouldn't be make things so difficult for me. But I hope she'll reconsider my relationship with Paige once she gets to know her tomorrow night. I don't want to go home yet, I want to feel the fresh air on my face, so I decide to call my friends. Maybe they want to go grab a coffee, and talking to them would be good for me.

"Hey, Spence. Are you busy?"

"I'm having a coffee with Hanna and Aria in our favorite café. How are you feeling, Em?" she replies.

"I'm feeling fantastic. In fact, I'm not in the hospital, the doctor said I could go home. He said I should rest, but I'm sick of laying on the bed all day. I'll be there in five minutes, okay?"

"Okay, we'll be waiting. See you!"

"Bye, Spence."

In about five minutes I walk in the café and I approach my friends, they're all staring at me with their smiley faces.

"Hi, girls," I say smiling at them as I sit next to Aria.

"Hi, Em," they all say in unison while they give me a group hug.

"Wow. I didn't see this coming," I add smiling at them.

"Are you feeling better?" Aria asks staring at me with her big eyes.

"Yeah, I'm still tired, but I'm fine."

"So… I'm going to go straight to the point, 'cause I know we're all willing to know what really happened when Paige showed up in the hospital," Spencer says looking at Hanna and Aria, who are laughing.

"She came to see me, that's all," I answer categorically. I turn around and I ask for a cappuccino when the waitress walks next to us.

"Wait a moment, are you saying that they didn't talk before she entered your room? Aria asks while she stirs her coffee non stop.

"Well, they did talk, but I don't know what really happened. I mean, I asked Paige and she said my mom was nice to her, but I'm not so sure about that," I add frowning. The waitress brings my cappuccino and its sweet smell distracts me for a few seconds. When I look at my friends they're staring at me with a surprised face.

"I hope your mom wasn't very mean to her, 'cause I spoke with Paige before we left the hospital and she was really nervous. I know her pretty well because she was in my hockey team, and I can assure you she isn't the kind of person that gets nervous so easily. She really cares about you, Em."

"Yeah, I know that. She's adorable. I invited her to have dinner at my house tomorrow and she said it wasn't a good idea. But I finally convinced her, so I guess she cares about me."

"What did you just say?" Aria asks loudly.

"Your mom will be having dinner with the two of you?" Spencer asks looking at me surprisedly.

"Yeah, she will. That's why I invited her, 'cause I want my mother to see how fantastic my girlfriend is."

"Em, you just came out, don't you think…?" Aria says when I interrupt her.

"I don't want to waste my time anymore. I was in the closet for a long time and I'm sick of having to hide myself or do things differently just because I'm dating another girl," I insist. Maybe I overreacted a little bit, but I'm tired and I'm not in the mood to argue.

"Okay, that's up to you, we were trying to help you. We weren't trying to make you change your mind, Em," Aria adds lowering her voice.

"I'm sorry, guys. I didn't mean to go on the defensive."

"If you're so sure about it, I don't see the problem. So, what will you do tomorrow? Will you ask her to marry you, Em? Hanna jokes. I laugh, they're right about it, maybe I'm putting too much pressure on both Paige and my mom, but I'm sure my mom will behave properly after everything that happened these last days.

"After everything you said, I only know that she is a keeper, Em," Aria says nodding at me. I know she is flawless, and I'm glad my friends like her too. When I came out I knew my friends would take it well, but I was afraid they wouldn't like Paige. That terrified me, my friends approval is really important to me.

"If you ever dump her, I assure you that I'll ask her out," Hanna says laughing loudly.

**Paige's POV**

"So, which movie do you want to watch?" Marks asks staring at me before getting in the car.

"I don't mind. It's your last day in Rosewood, I leave it up to you," I say smiling at him.

"Okay, Paigey. But don't complain if you don't like my choice."

After leaving the car in the parking lot, we make our way to the box office and Mark buys two tickets.

"Don't you dare to do that. It's on me," he says pointing at my bag when I'm about to take my wallet.

"Thank you," I add with a smile in my face.

After buying the tickets we go get popcorn and we walk in the movie theatre. The movie is very boring, but Mark can't stop laughing. I don't get why he thinks it's funny, but the important thing is that he's having a good time. I spend almost two hours texting Emily and eating popcorn, it's the only way to be entertained before the movie ends. When they turn on the lights and I see the credits on the screen I sigh and I look at Mark, he smiles at me.

"So, where are we having dinner?" I ask curiously. We get in the car and he starts the engine, but he doesn't say a word.

"You'll like the place," he says grinning.

After driving almost for 15 minutes we get to the place, I look around. I don't know where we are, but the restaurant seems fancy.

"Are you nuts? Do you think I'm rich? I'm a seventeen year old girl," I yell at him.

"This is my way of saying thank you for these last days. I had a lot of fun and I needed to relax. You were very helpful. The bill is on me, don't worry," he adds smiling.

We enter the restaurant and a waiter approaches us instantly. Mark tells him that he made a reservation and we sit on a table that has a paper with Mark's name on it. There are candles and flowers on the table. I look around and there are a lot of couples and businessmen having dinner.

"We don't fit in here. This place is too fancy, we are surrounded by couples in love and old people," I add while I keep looking around.

"Will you stop talking? I heard the food is really tasty and I wanted to do something nice for you. Is that a crime?" he asks frowning.

"I'm sorry, Mark. This is great," I say holding his hand. "But I'm not going to forgive you. What the hell was that? That movie was awful," I say laughing.

"I told you I like weird movies. By the way, who were you texting during the movie?" he asks grinning at me.

"Do I need to tell you?" I ask chuckling.

"Okay, I get it. You were texting your dad telling him that I made you even gayer," he adds while he bursts out laughing.

"Do you think so? I'd say the people in here think we're a couple. Look around. This is a really romantic restaurant."

"Yeah, you're right. But I wouldn't date someone as ugly as you," he says laughing at me. "Okay, something strange is going on, she's approaching us and she looks pissed," he adds with a serious face expression. He's looking at someone who's in front of him, but I can't see who he's referring to, because I'm sitting with my back on that person. I don't know why but I'm feeling nervous, even if I didn't do anything wrong. I have a feeling that something bad is going to happen.

**To be continued…**


	17. Chapter 17: Silence is the best answer

**Thanks for your support, guys! I enjoyed writing this chapter, so I hope you like it too. :)**

**I'll try to update as soon as possible, but be patient, please. ;)**

**Don't forget I am not a native English speaker, so I apologize in advance for my grammar mistakes. **

**Buttercup XD XD: Let's see if you're right. :D**

**dayabieberxo: You're right, it's gonna be awkward. :)**

** : Siempre te pones en lo peor, te gusta demasiado el drama. LOL Gracias por tu apoyo. Este capítulo seguro que te encanta.**

** : You're going to like that dinner. Everything is gonna change. :)**

**del: Thank you! Writing in English is not easy, but I'm glad you like the story. I'm only going to say that both Ali and Pam are back for this chapter. xD**

**glorymania: Thanks! I'm willing to watch 3B just because of that. :D**

**Enjoy!**

**Paige's POV**

"Who are you talking about?" I ask while I stare at his surprised face. He doesn't say a word, so I decide to turn around and see who he's staring at. Pamela Fields is approaching us, and I don't think she's coming just to say hello. I didn't notice she was sitting at the table at the corner of the restaurant. She's having dinner with Aria's mom and two other women who I suppose are Spencer's and Hanna's moms.

"I didn't expect to see you here," she says frowning and staring at both of them.

"I'm surprised too," I say looking her in the eye. I don't know if Mark knows she's Emily's mom, but he remains silent.

"Why are you doing this to my daughter?" she asks. She's really pissed, but I don't know what she's talking about. I went to visit her daughter at the hospital and I've been nothing but nice and caring to her. She should know that, even if she doesn't like the fact that she's dating me. It's so obvious I care for her daughter.

"Am I not allowed to have dinner?" I reply.

"Do you think I'm stupid? I saw you being affectionate with him, and look at this place, " she adds pointing at the restaurant and at all the couples. "If you're not interested in my daughter, why are you doing this to her?" she asks loudly. Now I understand what she thinks is going on, I didn't see this coming.

"I thought you didn't like me. Then you're upset because I'm cheating on your daughter," I say laughing lightly.

"Are you laughing at me?" she yells at me. I need to stop this or the restaurant's manager is probably going to throw us out of this great place.

"Calm down, Mrs. Fields," Mark says nicely while he stands up and gets closer to Emily's mom. "Mark McCullers, nice to meet you," he says while he holds out his hand to her. I can't help laughing, I am loving Mark's brilliant idea.

"So… Are you saying…?" she says stuttering and looking at me.

"First of all, I don't like boys. Secondly, I'm not a fan of incestuous relationships," I joke. She doesn't smile, but I know she liked my comment, although she doesn't show it.

"I'm her cousin, Mrs. Fields. Don't worry about that," Mark adds before sitting and looking at her again.

"I guess I'll see you tomorrow," I say nicely. She's speechless, she knows she made a mistake, again. I keep staring at her, but she doesn't say a word. She finally turns around and heads to the table where the other women are waiting. They're staring at us too, like everybody else who's at the restaurant.

"_Paige 2 – Pamela Fields 0,"_ I think to myself.

**Emily's POV**

I think the painkillers the doctor gave me worked for me, but I'm pretty sure talking to Paige and my friends was way more beneficial to me. Now I have my mind set on Paige and tomorrow's dinner. I hope my mom behaves properly, 'cause Paige is a very patient person, but I'm not anymore, I won't allow it. Tomorrow I'm also coming back to school, I don't want to stay at home doing nothing. Being honest, I want to be with Paige, even if I'll see her again at dinner.

After having a quick dinner with my friends I came home to watch TV and relax. Paige is hanging out with Mark and my mom is having dinner with her friends, so I'm alone. Right now I appreciate that my home is a quiet place. I got to admit that when I was with the girls some minutes ago and they raised their voice and laughed loudly, my head started aching. I'm starting to feel sleepy when I hear the sound of the keys on the door. I open my eyes slightly and I look at the door.

"Hi, honey! I'm sorry I woke you up," she says looking at my sleepy eyes.

"No I wasn't, don't worry. But I'm tired, so I'll go sleep in a few minutes, tomorrow I got to wake up early," I add while I look at my watch yawning.

"Are you feeling better, Emily?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, that's why tomorrow I'm going to school, mom," I say nodding. "How was dinner with your friends?" I ask nicely.

"It was good, I really enjoyed it. And… I saw Paige there," she says while she looks down. I guess she's ashamed because something bad happened.

"At the same restaurant?" I ask frowning.

"Yeah, she was with a boy… and… uhmmm… I thought they were, you know…" she adds faltingly. She doesn't look at me, so I was right about that, she did something wrong and now she feels ashamed about it.

"That was Mark, her cousin. He's leaving tomorrow, so he wanted to spend time with Paige. It's understandable. What did you do, mom?" I ask while I shake my head in disappointment.

"I thought they were more like friends, Emily. What was I supposed to do?" she says a little bit annoyed.

"Does this mean you care?" I ask smiling.

"I don't want you to get hurt, that's all. But you know I don't understand your sudden change in your orientation."

"God, mom! I didn't change, I've always been like that. Can't you understand that? It's very simple," I say raising my voice.

"Okay, don't be mad at me. I just need some time to figure it out."

"You have till tomorrow afternoon," I say sharply. "The three of us will have dinner, I hope you rise to the occasion, or you'll lose me," I say threateningly. I turn around but she holds my arm and she draws me towards her to hug me.

"I love you, Emily, don't forget that," she says hugging me tightly.

**Paige's POV**

I open my eyes when I feel the sunshine on my face. It's very early, but I want to say goodbye to Mark before he leaves. I get dressed quickly and I go downstairs, he's already in the kitchen. My parents are sleeping, but he's already awake and preparing breakfast.

"Good morning! It smells great. I'm definitely gonna miss you," I say giggling and sitting at the table, next to him.

"Bon appétit!" he says before drinking a glass of orange juice.

"I could get used to this kind of breakfast. Thanks," I add while I eat a toast with butter on it.

"You're welcome. I want you to know that these last days have been fun."

"Yeah, it was great. You really helped with my little "situation". I really appreciate your support, Mark," I say with a wide smile on my face.

"You know you're more than welcome to come to my place anytime. And your girlfriend is invited too, of course," he adds winking at me.

"Thanks, I'd like that, but I don't think my dad would be very happy if he knew that Emily was coming with me. But I appreciate the invitation, I'll think about it."

"It's getting late," he adds looking at his watch. "I must go or I won't catch the bus."

"I'll come with you, Mark," I say nicely.

"Don't worry, Paigey. I won't get lost, Rosewood is not as big as you think it is," he adds while he laughs at me.

"I insist, Mark. I want to go with you. Let me go grab my bag and I'll go to school afterwards, okay?"

"If you insist on coming with me I won't be rude. I'll be waiting right here."

"We'll leave in a minute," I say while I quicken my pace so he doesn't have to wait for me.

We walk to the bus station, 'cause it's close to my place and driving there makes no sense at all. When we get there everybody is getting in the bus, so I hug him tightly and I kiss him on the cheek. I wave at him and he waves me back with his adorable smile on his face. I'm going to miss him, but he's got his own life, and I'm sure I'll see him soon. It was nice to get to know a McCullers who is really nice and not homophobic at all. When I'm about to leave the bus station my phone starts ringing.

"Good morning, beautiful! How are you feeling?" I say cheerfully.

"I'm fine. And you?" she asks nicely.

"I'm better than okay."

"Do you want me to pick you up? I'm about to get in the car," Emily asks.

"No, thanks. I'm at the bus station, I came to say goobye to Mark. I'll walk to school, I'll see you there, okay?"

"So… Your boyfriend is leaving?" she asks giggling.

"Did your mom tell you?" I say laughing.

"Yeah, she mentioned something, but she didn't tell me exactly what happened."

"I'll tell you later, okay? See you in five minutes, Em!"

"I'm dying to see you, Paigey."

**Emily's POV**

When I get to school I go straight to my locker, I grab some books and I wait. She'll be here soon, and I want to do something nice for her, so I'll be waiting right here. Suddenly I see her opening the door and coming closer to me with a perfect smile on her face.

"Hi!" I say euphorically while I affectionately hug her.

"Did you miss me?" she says giggling.

"Yeah, a lot. So… what did my mom do this time?" I ask smiling at her while I touch her arm.

"It was nothing. She thought I was cheating on you and she yelled at us. It was kinda funny," she says chuckling.

"Do you think that's funny?" I ask frowning. My mom treats her like shit and she laughs, this has to stop right now.

"Calm down, Em. It was actually good. I mean, she cares about you and if she was upset because I was with a boy that means that she's coming to her senses. It's good news, Emily," she says while she caress my hand.

"Well… I'm not so sure about that. That's why I want you to come over for dinner. I want to test her, I want to know if she's okay with our relationship," I insist. "Are you nervous?" I ask giggling.

"No… I'm… I'm not nervous," she says shyly. She's the bravest person I've ever known, but she's a human being, I can see she's totally nervous about this dinner.

"Okay, Paigey. Just be yourself, use your charms to win her over. It's easy to like you," I say staring at her and getting closer to her.

"You're so cute," she adds. She looks around and then she holds me gently around my waist and leans on me.

"Get a room, you dykes!" Alison says as she walks past us in the hall.

"Go fuck yourself!" I yell looking at her defiantly.

"Relax, Fields," she says smiling at me.

"I'm sorry," I add shyly.

"I got to go to class, Em. Seven at your place?" she asks.

"Yeah, that's right. See you later!" I kiss her gently on the cheek and I wave at her.

I look impatiently at my watch, it's 06:55 pm, so she'll be here in just a few minutes. All of a sudden I hear the sound of the doorbell ringing and I run towards the door.

"Hi!" I say nervously. "What is that?" I ask pointing at the bag she's carrying.

"I baked some brownies. Is that okay?"

"Of course. Who doesn't like brownies?" I joke. Come in, don't be shy." She walks in and she gives me the dessert. I leave the brownies on the kitchen counter.

"Did you bake them yourself?" I say looking at her surprisedly.

"Yeah, I did. Why are you so surprised? I love baking. Shhh… It's a secret," she says chuckling. Suddenly her face expression becomes very serious.

"Hi, Mrs. Fields. Thank you for inviting me," she adds with a shy smile.

"You're welcome. Did I hear that right? Did you bake brownies?" my mom adds.

"Yeah, she did. Isn't that great? I say euphorically.

"Brownies are Fields family's favorite," my mom says smiling at her. I can't believe she's being so nice to my girlfriend. And she's not faking it so I'm not angry at her, I think she really likes her.

"Is dinner ready? Do you need help, mom?" I ask nicely.

"No, I've got it under control. Go sit down at the table, I'll be there soon."

I hold Paige's hand and we go to the living room. We sit down in front of each other and I smile at her.

"I'm gonna ask you not to touch me in front of her, okay? I'm friggin nervous and you distract me. I'm begging you," she says with her sad puppy eyes.

"I'm gonna make an effort, but I can't promise anything, you're irresistible," I say giggling. I stop speaking when I see my mother approaching us with a dish of pasta.

"I hope you like pasta," my mom says looking at Paige while she sits down.

"Yeah, of course. It's my favorite dish. It smells great," she adds politely.

"By the way, I'm sorry about yesterday, Paige," my mom says shyly.

"Are you talking about what happened at the restaurant? It's okay, it was a misunderstanding. Don't worry about that." If my mom didn't notice that she's the perfect girlfriend, then there must be something wrong with her.

"Forget about that, mom. Her boyfriend is out of town," I joke.

We start eating and we remain silent for a few minutes. The pasta is delicious and I guess we're all starving and feeling a little uncomfortable. Paige breaks the ice.

"Mrs. Fields… I wanted to say that… uhmmm… I understand that you're having a hard time to get used to the idea that Emily is dating a girl. I know that it must be difficult for you, so I appreciate you giving me the chance to meet you. I just want to tell you that I want the best for your daughter. And… uhmmmm… I'm going to stop speaking 'cause I don't know what else to say," Paige says shyly.

"My daughter is a person of sound judgment. If she wants to be with you, it's probably 'cause you're a good person. I'm adjusting, I need time, but I appreciate your honesty," my mom says nodding. I didn't see this coming, I'm gonna explode with happiness.

"The best thing about being gay is that you don't have to worry about a boy getting me pregnant," I joke.

"That's right," my mom says smiling lightly.

We spend almost an hour talking and eating the delicious dinner. Brownies are really tasty, I didn't know my girlfriend was so good in the kitchen. Everything goes absolutely perfect, but it's getting late and tomorrow we got to go to school, so it's time for her to go home.

"Thank you again, Mrs. Fields. Dinner was delicious," Paige says smiling at her.

"You can call me Pam. Remember you can come over whenever you want," my mom says smiling back at her.

We both go outside, her car is parked there and I don't want to say goodbye to her in front of my mother. She's not ready yet.

"I told you everything was gonna be okay. You're adorable," I say euphorically as I hug her.

"That's a weight off my mind, I had never been so nervous," she says before she sighs. I can't stop staring at her, I feel the urge to kiss her, I don't care if my mom is spying on us. I lean on her and I give her a romantic french kiss. I stop when the two of us are breathless.

"I love you," I say in a low voice while I look her in the eye. She stares at me, she's in shock. She didn't see it coming and she doesn't say a word.

"_Did I screw up my relationship? I clearly shouldn't have said that. You're stupid, Emily!"_ I think to myself.

**To be continued…**


	18. Chapter 18: Do you love me back?

**Thanks for your support, guys! This week is not being as hectic as the last ones, so here's another chapter. I hope you like it. :)**

**I'll try to update as soon as possible, but be patient, please. ;)**

**Don't forget I am not a native English speaker, so I apologize in advance for my grammar mistakes. **

**Buttercup XD XD: Thanks! I loved writing the restaurant scene. Pam screwed it up again. She's constantly making a fool of herself. :D**

** : ¡Gracias! La verdad que esta semana he tenido más tiempo libre, y viendo cómo había terminado el capítulo anterior tenía ganas de ponerme a escribir. Todo irá bien, aunque siempre habrá algún problema para hacer la historia un poco más interesante. A veces un poco de sufrimiento viene bien. xD**

**glorymania: Thanks! Pam realized that Paige is good for her daughter. The love confession was unexpected, but I've been wanting to write that cliffhanger for a few weeks. xD Thank you for your kind words, it makes me happy that you're enjoying it so far. You encourage me to keep writing. ;)**

**Enjoy!**

**Emily's POV**

I know my early love confession must have sounded like I'm rushing this relationship, but I'm just being honest about my feelings. We've been dating briefly, but I've been having these feelings for her since a long time ago and I felt like it was the right time. She's been the best girlfriend I could ever imagine, and after this dinner with my mom I realized I want to be with her forever. I mean, before meeting my mom I knew she nears perfection, but when I saw her being so nice to her after everything my mom did to her, I'm 100 percent sure that I love her.

I'm quite sure she didn't expect this, because she keeps staring at me but there are no words coming out of her mouth. After a brief awkward moment I decide to say something, 'cause this silence is killing me.

"I'm… sorry… I didn't…" I say shyly. I try to avoid making eye contact with her, and I can't even finish the sentence.

"I don't know what to say. I just…" Paige adds staring at me. I interrupt her before she says something that I won't like.

"Don't, please. It was a mistake, I'm sorry I put you in an awkward situation," I add trying to clean up my mess.

"Stop, please, Em. I love you too," she says while she holds my face. "I've been in love with you since the first time I saw you. You left me speechless because I didn't expect you'd be the one who said it first," she adds smiling at me.

"I don't want to put pressure on you, you don't need to say that if you're not so sure about it. I won't be angry. I am so proud of you because you handled that dinner so well that I couldn't hold back, it just happened."

"Don't be silly. I said that I love you because it's the truth. I don't need to pretend that, I love you, Emily Fields," she says as she leans on and gives me a kiss. It kinda feels different because everything that happened just a few minutes ago. I feel butterflies in my stomach.

"So, are we okay?" I ask staring at her and holding her around the waist.

"I'm better than okay, I don't know about you," she jokes. She cups my face and she gives me a gentle kiss. "Do you still think I'm pretending?" she whispers in my ear with her sexy voice.

"I'm not so sure about that," I joke while I lean in to kiss her again.

"Okay, Fields, I think I should be going before my parents start calling my phone non-stop," she says smiling at me. "Do you know we've been speaking for half an hour? I think I made a good impression on your mom, I don't want to spoil it," she says giggling.

"Okay, Paigey. See you tomorrow in class," I say with a wide smile on my face. She gets in the car and she starts the engine while she keeps smiling at me.

"Sweet dreams," she says before she accelerates the car and disappears.

I think I'll have a bunch of sweet dreams after the conversation we had. I hadn't felt so good since the first time I kissed her in the bathroom. No, this feels even better, 'cause now she's my girlfriend, I'm out and I know she loves me. I'm euphoric, I can't hide my happiness when I enter the house and my mom smiles at me. I approach her with my arms wide open and she understands instantly why I'm so happy.

"I'm very proud of you, mom. You were great, I love you," I say for the second time this day.

"It's no biggie, honey. I'm still processing the changes in your life, but I guess I'll get there sooner or later," she adds smiling at me and caressing my face.

"I know you still don't get the whole gay thing, but I'm gonna ask you a question. Would you like Paige being my girlfriend if I was a boy?" I ask nicely.

"Yeah, I like her, Em. She seems nice, caring and very mature for her age," she adds beaming.

"Thank you, mom. This is a huge step. I just want to know that this is one of my happiest day ever. And you made that possible," I add while I hug her again.

"I just want you to be happy." She suddenly looks at her watch and she sighs. "It's getting late, honey. Go to sleep, tomorrow you got to go to school," she adds looking at me and shaking her head.

"Okay, mom. Good night!" I say euphorically. "And thanks again," I add while I'm walking up stairs. She smiles at me, I guess she's laughing at me because I can't wipe the stupid grin off my face.

**Paige's POV**

"Good morning, mom," I say while I go get a bowl of cereals and some milk. I can't stop yawning and my mom realizes that I didn't sleep enough hours and now I'm not feeling fully rested.

"Good morning, honey. What time did you get home?" she asks frowning.

"Late. I'm sorry, time simply flew, I didn't think it was so late," I add.

"It's okay, but I don't want that to happen again, today is a school day and you need to be fully rested so you can have a productive day," she says nicely. "So, how was dinner?"

"It was better than expected. I really enjoyed it," I say smiling at her while I keep eating cereals.

"Does that mean her mom finally accepts your relationship?"

"I guess so. I mean, she was nice and she tried to talk to me. I think brownies were helpful too," I say with a wide smile on my face.

"I very much doubted that she wouldn't surrender to your charms," she says smiling and caressing my arm gently.

"At first I was a bundle of nerves, I barely spoke, but then I thought that I should try to behave naturally. I'm glad everything came out well, Emily needed to see that her mom is changing."

"Maybe it's time she comes over to have dinner with us, Paigey," she adds giggling. She sees that I'm terrified of her sudden idea.

"No way," I add shaking my head. "Dad would give her an awful time, and I don't want that to happen. It's the sad truth," I add categorically.

"I know your dad is not being fair to you, but maybe if he gets to know Emily things could change," my mom says staring at me.

"I don't think so, mom. Remember she's not only my girlfriend, she's one of the best swimmers on the team, and you know his obsession with that matter. Anyway, I don't think it's the right time, I don't want to rush it. Maybe in the near future I'll agree with you. I don't want to put more pressure on her now that she's finally happy because her mom came to her senses."

"Okay, but just so you know, I wanna get to know the girl who makes my daughter so happy. I don't want to put pressure on you, but I hope that will happen soon. I'll talk to your dad, just in case," my mom adds smiling at me. I'm not worried about my mom, I know she'll be nice to Emily, but I'd hate if my dad said something hurtful to her.

"I get it, mom," I say happily. "I've got to get moving or I'll be late to school. See you later," I say while I get up and I grab my bag.

The instant I get to my locker I hear someone calling my name. I look around and I see Emily waving at me. She's talking to her friends, so I guess she'll come to say hi when her friends leave to their classes. Her joyness makes me very happy, but my happiness fades when I see that Ben is approaching me, he seems really pissed.

"Why did you lie to me? Do you think I'm dumb?" he says frowning.

"What are you talking about? I barely know you, Ben. I've only talked to you once," I add surprisedly.

"I'm talking about Emily. She dumped me and you told me that she wasn't dating you. Now everyone at school is talking about you two, so stop fooling around." Okay, I get that he's angry because she lost Emily, but I'm not the one to blame, am I?

"There was nothing between us at that moment," I lie. I don't have to give him an explanation, my relationship with Emily is none of his business. He's just her ex, nothing more. "I understand that you're hurt, I'm sorry," I say nicely. Suddenly I see Emily is coming up to us, I suppose she realized something wrong was going on between us.

"What is going on here?" she asks staring at Ben. Ben instantly lowers his head, he knows he shouldn't have reproached me.

"It's nothing, Em. He was just leaving, am I right, Ben?" I say ironically. I don't want to be mean to him, I know he must be shattered by the break-up, I pity him, but he should deal with the fact that Emily is not his girlfriend anymore.

"If you have a problem with me, just say it. But don't involve her in whatever the hell is going on in your life," Emily adds kinda furiously. She's even sexier when she's angry, I can't stop thinking that, and I shouldn't, this is really serious.

"Calm down, Em," I say holding her hand. There's no point in arguing, this will only hurt the three of us.

"When you get bored of her, call me," Ben says sarcastically while he smirks and walks past us.

"Jerk!" Emily yells at him.

"You're better than that. He's pissed at you, ignore him," I tell her while I hold her face with both of my hands trying to calm her down.

"Yeah, you're right. Now I can clearly see why I chose you over him," she says smiling at me and caressing my hand.

"Stop it, I'm blushing," I joke. Will I see you at the cafeteria later?" I ask.

"Yeah, I already told my friends that I wanted to have lunch with you," she adds happily.

"It will be an honor, milady," I say bowing before her. She laughs at me, her anger suddenly subsided after hearing my joke.

**Emily's POV**

When I get to the cafeteria after all those boring classes I look around and I see Paige is waiting for me.

"Hey! How was your morning?" I ask nicely while I sit in front of her.

"It was good, but history class was really boring. What about you?"

"I couldn't stop thinking about last night, so I couldn't concentrate on anything else," I say staring at her and smiling.

"I hope that you were distracted because yesterday night was better than you expected," she says smirking.

"It was like a dream come true, Paige. I mean, my mom is finally accepting me, she likes my girlfriend and you said that you love me," I add happily.

"Did I say that? I want to take it back," she jokes.

"You won't get rid of me so easily," I say shaking my head and smiling at her.

"I don't want to be insistent but, are you feeling better after what happened with your ex?" she asks nicely while she eats her salad.

"Yeah, I am. Don't worry about that. I know I should ignore him and other people who only want to upset me."

"Okay, that's great. So, what are you doing this afternoon after school?"

"I have to study and I have a paper due tomorrow. I'll probably go home, study and rest, 'cause I'm exhausted. Did you want to do something with me?" I add raising my eyebrows.

"No, it's okay. I should study too, and you need to rest, so forget it."

"Tomorrow I'm having lunch with my friends, but I can pick you up in the morning. What do you say?" I ask nicely.

"Okay, I like that," she says smiling at me.

After having lunch and attending the afternoon classes, I drive home. I want to finish homework as soon as possible and have a bath. I need a relaxing moment more than ever. After one hour of intense work, I have a relaxing bath. Afterwards I go downstairs, my mom is cooking dinner, so I go help her. Suddenly someone rings the bell and my mom goes to open the door.

"Are you expecting someone? she asks as she's getting closer to the door.

"No, I'm not," I answer. I leave the knife on the kitchen counter and I approach the door, my curiosity has been aroused. When I finally see who was knocking on the door I get really angry. Ben is standing in front of my mom and he's staring at me. I don't want to deal with this right now, I'm sick of him.

**To be continued…**


	19. Chapter 19: Trust me

**Thanks for your support, guys! I wanted to update before the week starts, 'cause you know I barely have time to write from Monday to Friday, so I hope you enjoy this chapter. :)**

**I'll try to update as soon as possible, but be patient, please. ;)**

**Don't forget I am not a native English speaker, so I apologize in advance for my grammar mistakes. **

**Cony: Ben no es tan malo como lo pintáis, ya verás. xD Siempre habrá algún problema que otro, pero están destinadas a estar juntas. ¡Gracias! Espero que esta semana también sea más tranquila para poder seguir escribiendo. :)**

** : I agree with you, Paige's mom is adorable. Ben is changing, you'll see, he's not like Alison. :)**

**glorymania: Ben was really irritating, but in this fanfic I want him to be so much nicer. I hope you like Ben's attitude change, he's just in love with her, he's obviously hurt.**

**del: Thank you! Ben is not the only problem, you'll see. Hahaha.**

**Emily's POV**

"I'll leave you two alone, okay?" my mom says as she leaves us alone in the living room.

"What are you doing here?" I look angrily at him, I didn't forget what he did this afternoon.

"I just…" he starts saying when I interrupt him.

"If you came here to insult me or say stupid things about our relationship, you can leave now," I add frowning and pointing at the door.

"I'm here because I wanted to apologize. I was a jerk and I shouldn't have confronted Paige. It was a mistake. I don't want us to be angry at each other, I care about you," he adds looking at me with a sad face. I guess he's being honest, he knows he made a mistake.

"Okay," I add nodding. "But next time, if you're feeling like I betrayed you, come talk to me, Paige didn't do anything wrong," I say staring at him.

"I was angry with you, I saw her and I needed to let off steam. It won't happen again. But… I still love you, Emily," he says holding my hand.

"I… Ben, I'm not… I'm sorry, but I don't feel the same about you. I can only be friends with you." He's devastated, but I can't help him with that, I don't want to be with him.

"Does that mean that you never loved me?" he ask frowning.

"It's complicated, Ben. Of course I liked you, but I knew I could never love you, I could never be happy with a boy. It's nothing personal. I only like girls, there's nothing wrong with you. I guess I should apologize too, I hurt your feelings. But you gotta understand that I was having a hard time, I was scared and desperate."

"It's okay. I guess we weren't meant to be together, and we both made mistakes" he adds smiling at me.

"I'm really sorry, Ben. Are we okay?" I ask smiling back at him.

"Yeah, I'm sorry I gave you an awful time. Would you tell Paige I'm sorry, please?"

"Yeah, I will. Come here," I tell him with my arms wide open. I hug him tightly, it was very nice of him to come to my place to make things right, although I totally understand he's still hurt.

"I gotta go, Em. Thank you. I don't want to bother you. See you tomorrow at school?" he asks as he raises his eyebrows.

"Sure. If you ever need anything, you know my number," I say smiling at him.

"Bye, Em." I watch him walk away before I close the door. I'm glad we made it up, I just want him to be happy, after one year dating him I care about him.

"Is everything okay?" my mom asks staring at me.

"Yeah, everything is fine. We had some unfinished business to settle, but now everything is okay," I add smiling at her. I don't know if she heard our conversation, but she keeps staring at me like I'm hiding something.

"Please, don't tell me that you changed your mind now that I finally like Paige," she says smiling lightly.

"No, of course not," I add laughing loudly. "I play for other team, I won't switch sides after everything I went through," I answer smiling at her.

**Paige's POV**

When I'm about to grab my bag and say goodbye to my mom I look out of the window and I see Emily is stopping the car in front of my front yard. I go out and I jump into the car seat while I smile at her.

"Aren't you going to give me a kiss? What a lousy girlfriend!" she says nodding her head jokingly.

I put my hand under her chin and I tip her face up so I can put my lips against her while I run my fingers through her shiny black hair. She kisses me back holding my face with her right hand while she holds my hand with her left hand.

"Are you feeling better?" I ask as I moisture my lips.

"Yeah, you're not so bad after all," she replies laughing at me.

"So, did you get a good night's sleep?" I ask as I buckle up and she starts the engine.

"Yeah, I needed at least nine hours of sleep to get my strength back. But you won't believe who showed up at my house last night," she says raising her eyebrows.

"I don't know," I reply straight-faced.

"Ben wanted to apologize for his behaviour. He regretted that he confronted you and he told me he was sorry. I didn't expect that, I guess he's maturing" she says waiting for my response.

"And what did you say?" I ask trying to hide my jealousy although I know she wouldn't do that to me.

"I told him I accepted his apology. He just made a mistake and he was mature enough to say he was sorry. Everything is fine between us."

"What does that mean? I ask frowning.

"It means that we're just friends. He understands that our relationship is over, he knows I'm dating a beautiful girl," she adds as she caresses my thigh while she holds the steering wheel with the other hand. "Are you jealous, Paigey?" she says giving me a quick look.

"I'm not, I just wanted to know what the hell is going on in his mind," I lie.

"You know how much I love you, I would never do that to you," she insists. She parks her car and she gives me a gentle kiss. We walk towards the lockers walking next to each other.

"Okay, so… I know you're having lunch with your friends, but could we talk after school? I've some plans for the weekend," I say staring at her.

"I'm having lunch with the girls but you can join us if you want to," she says nicely. "Tell me about your plans, I'm curious," she says smirking.

"No, I can't. I told Kate I would meet her for lunch," I add staring at her. "I won't tell you anything about it yet, it's a secret," I say smiling at her.

"Kate? Kate White, from the swimming team?" she asks frowning. I don't know why she's so surprised I'm having lunch with her. I mean, she spends a lot of time with her friends, I deserve to meet new people, and Kate is really nice, so I decided to give her a chance.

"Yes, Kate White. Why are you asking?"

"It's nothing. I didn't know you got along with her, that's all. So, to change the subject, it's five o'clock good for you? I'm talking about your secret plan," she says giggling.

"Yeah, it's perfect. See you later, Em!"

"Have a good day, sweetie," she adds while she looks at me with that sexy smile. I love it when she calls me sweetie, she's adorable.

**Emily's POV**

"What are you talking about, Spence? I didn't understand anything you said. Were you talking in English?" Hanna asks staring at Spencer with a confused face.

"I guess I should talk about this topic at the debate club," Spencer says shaking her head desperately. I love it when Hanna and Spence try to have a serious conversation and they fail. It's funny they get along even if they're so different.

"When are you going to swim again, Em?" Aria asks looking at me.

"After the accident the Coach told me that I should rest for a week, but I told her I'm feeling better, so I guess tomorrow I'll swim some laps."

"Where is your perfect girlfriend?" Spencer asks smiling at me.

"She's having lunch with Kate White," I say rolling my eyes. I know she deserves to have friends too, but I don't like the idea of Paige spending time with that girl who I barely know. I never experienced this jealousy when I was dating Ben, but with Paige everything is different. I just want to spend every minute of the day with her, but I suppose that's not healthy.

"Is that the tall blonde girl from your swimming team?" Aria asks frowning.

"Yeah, she's cute," Hanna says looking at me.

"You're not helping, Hanna," I tell her raising my eyebrows.

"Are you jealous, Em?" Spencer says smiling at me. "Paige is not a cheater, she cares about you. Besides, I don't think Kate is gay, so don't worry," she adds nicely.

"Did you ask her if she's gay? 'Cause I don't know if she's really interested in Paige," I say nodding. "Besides, it's really weird that she wants to be her friend now that she's out. Don't you think it's weird?" I ask looking at them. I guess I'm being paranoid, because they're looking at me like I said something crazy.

"Even if she was gay, don't you trust Paige?" Aria asks staring at me. That's why I like her so much, Aria is always comforting me when I'm feeling down.

"Sure, I trust her. But I have no control over my stupid mind, and I can't stop thinking about that girl's real intentions," I add as I put my hands on my forehead.

"Don't get stressed out because of that, Em. I don't think Paige would do that to you," Spencer says while she holds my hand.

"I could find out about that bitch's true intentions, if you want to. Give me one day and I'll tell you everything about her life. I know someone who is really good at that kind of things. Leave it to me," Hanna says trying to reassure me.

"That won't be necessary, but thank you, Hanna. I think I'm overreacting about this matter, but I have a feeling that girl is bad news," I tell her. I appreciate their help, but I think I should talk to Paige, she's the one who knows her best. Besides, if Paige accepted to have lunch with her, she must be a nice person. I trust my girlfriend's instinct.

"Okay, this is really awkward," Aria says looking at the cafeteria door. At that very moment Paige and Kate are walking in the cafeteria, they're grinning from ear to ear at each other. She looks at me and she waves while she shows me her beautiful smile. Kate sits down on the table next to the door and Paige approaches us.

"Hey, guys! she says euphorically.

"Hi, how was your morning? I ask trying to hide my worries about her new friend.

"It was good. Did you finish having lunch?"

"Yeah, we were about to leave," I reply smiling at her.

"I gotta go, Kate is waiting for me and I'm starving," she says as she puts her hand over her flat stomach.

"So… what about her?" Hanna asks staring at Paige. Spencer and Aria turn quickly their heads and look at Hanna with her eyes wide open, it looks like they're trying to communicate telepathically with Hanna.

"What about her?" Paige says frowning. She knows that Hanna is upset about something, but I don't think she knows what's really going on.

"She's just kidding, Paige. You know she's always joking," I say trying to put things right and staring at Hanna defiantly.

"Well… I just wanted to say hi. See you guys," she says looking at my friends all smiley. "See you at five, okay?" she tells me looking directly into my eyes. She gives me an unexpected quick kiss and she walks away. I didn't see that coming, she kissed me in front of everyone.

"Stop talking nonsense, she kissed you, she wants to be with you. Don't be a fool," Spencer says staring at me.

"Yeah, you're right. I'm lucky to have her," I add happily. "I know you were trying to protect me, but don't do that again, please," I tell Hanna. She knows she didn't behave properly, so she nods at me. I'm so silly for thinking Paige would cheat me after she said that she loved me.

**Paige's POV**

She waves at me when I walk in the cafeteria. She's very punctual, it's five o'clock and she's waiting for me while she enjoys her favorite beverage.

"Hey, gorgeous!" I say before giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"Hi. Are you going to tell me what you have in mind for this weekend? I spent all morning thinking about it. Spit it out!" she says smiling at me. She takes another sip of her coffee while she stares at me looking for my answer.

"Do you want to go to New York for the weekend?" I ask smiling at her. I know she'll like the idea, I can see it in her face, her eyes are wide open.

"What? Are you kidding me?" she says looking at me surprisedly.

"Yeah, I'm serious. I called Mark yesterday and he told me that we could stay at his apartment. Besides, we'll be alone, he's spending the weekend at a friend's in Jersey, so…" I tell her smirking.

"I can't believe it, it's great. You're the best girlfriend ever, Paigey," she says euphorically.

"There's a little problem, though. I mean, my parents know I'm spending the weekend with my cousin at his place. They spoke with Mark and they said it was fine for me to go there. But they don't know you're coming, and they don't know he's not going to be in the city either. Anyway, what are you going to tell your mom?" I ask while I raise my eyebrows. I want her to come so badly, but I don't want Emily to lie to her mom now that she's okay about our relationship.

"I could tell her I'm spending the weekend at Spencer's. Her parents are away for the weekend, so we could arrange something. Besides, my mom trusts her, so everything will be fine. I'm so excited," she says as she holds both my hands tightly.

"Okay, I'm glad you like the plan," I say with a wide smile on my face.

"Your plan is perfect. I mean, I'm gonna spend the whole weekend in New York City with the sexiest woman in Rosewood," she says smirking. She caresses my hand and starts intertwining her fingers with my own.

"Sexiest woman in Rosewood? I was expecting you'd say the sexiest woman in the world? I joke.

"Don't flatter yourself!" she says laughing loudly.

"Talk to Spencer and we'll arrange the trip. I'll drive, don't worry about that, my parents know I'll need the car and I don't want your mom to suspect something weird is going on."

"You made my day, seriously," she says bursting with happiness.

"I also wanted to talk about what happened earlier, Em," I ask as I change my face expression.

"What do you mean?" she asks frowning.

"What was Hanna implying when I mentioned Kate?" I ask staring at her. I don't want to fight, but I want to know if she's having doubts about my new friendship.

"I just… I admit I was a little bit jealous, I couldn't help that feeling, Paige. I mean, I trust you, but I don't know her and I don't want to lose you," she says looking at me with her sad puppy eyes.

"I want it to be quite clear that I'm completely in love with you. Stop thinking about other girls, I just want to be with you. Kate is just a friend, I need to have friends too," I add staring at her.

"I love you. I know I'm a fool, I'm sorry," she adds looking directly into my eyes.

"The sexiest woman in the world loves you too," I say giggling.

"Who are you talking about?" she jokes. She gets closer to me and she gives me an intense kiss, it feels like the world stopped. My life couldn't get any better.

**To be continued…**


	20. Chapter 20: The Big Apple - Part 1

**Thanks for your support, guys! Here's the first part of the weekend in the city. I hope you like reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it.**

**I'll try to update as soon as possible, but be patient, please. ;)**

**Don't forget I am not a native English speaker, so I apologize in advance for my grammar mistakes. **

**Cony: ¡Gracias! Me alegro que mi historia te haga feliz. :) Este fin de semana tendrá de todo, momentos románticos y amargos. En esta vida no todo es felicidad. xD**

** : Ben is a sweet boy. I laughed when I read that you want Ben and Kate to be a couple so the girls are happy. You want to kill two birds with one stone. Hahaha. **

**glorymania: Thank you! I don't know what I need to do to get you like Ben. xDDD Jealous Emily is hilarious. It's weird that pretty people have insecurities too, and they also feel jealousy. That makes them so human. In fact, the more jealous people I know are good-looking. xD**

**del: Thanks! Your words make me really happy too. :) Why don't you trust Kate? Hahaha. I'm glad you like the NYC trip idea. ;)**

**Emily's POV**

I didn't expect Paige's surprise trip to New York City, and I'm as happy as a kid in a candy store. After having coffee with her I decided to call Spencer, I want to explain to her my elaborate plan to make my mom think I'm staying at her place instead of going to spend the perfect weekend with my girlfriend. I'm already waiting for her in the same cafeteria Paige and I had coffee just a few minutes ago, I guess today is likely I'm overdosing on caffeine.

"Hey, Spence! I'm here," I yell at her when she walks in and she's looking around confusedly. She smiles at me when she sees me waving at her.

"Hi, Em. I guess what you need to tell me is really important, you were very punctual," she adds joking. She sits right in front of me and leaves her phone on the table.

"Well… You're right. I need to ask you a favor."

"So… What's up, Fields?" she asks smiling at me. She's clever, she knows it's something related to Paige.

"First of all… Your parents are out of town this weekend, am I right?" I say while she frowns.

"Yes, indeed. What do you want from me?" she asks laughing lightly. She's curious about the words that are going to come out of my mouth next.

"I'm telling my mom I'm staying at your place this weekend. I'm going to New York with Paige," I admit staring at her with a smiley face.

"What? Are you kidding?" she says with her eyes wide open.

"No, I'm not. Her cousin lives in Brooklyn, we're staying there. So, what do you say?"

"I think that's great," she says. "I mean, you're so lucky."

"I know I must be one of the luckiest person on Earth," I add smiling lightly. She takes a sip of her coffee before speaking again.

"So, I just have to tell your mom that you're staying with me. Done," she says nicely.

"Thank you so much, Spence. I really appreciate it, I'm excited about it," I add cheerfully. "I'm pretty sure my mom will trust you more than anyone else," I say smiling at her.

"I wonder why they think I'm a righteous person," she adds laughing loudly.

"Because you can't lie," I add smiling at her.

"Now you only got to ask permission to your mom."

"Yeah, I will do that when I get home. It's getting late, Spence. I gotta go home, tomorrow I have swimming training first thing in the morning," I add sighing.

"I thought you liked swimming, that's why you're on the team, right?"

"Yeah, I like that, but after not swimming for a few days I don't feel like going," I say while I roll my eyes.

"Don't complain about your perfect life, Em," she adds feeling a little bit jealous about me.

She's right, I'm living a dream, my life is beyond perfect right now. After paying the check and leaving a generous tip - I spent almost all afternoon in that café, the waitress deserved it – we leave the café and say goodbye to each other. I feel euphoric, Paige's announcement along with the coffee rush made me feel really cheerful.

**Paige's POV**

"Your phone is beeping, Paigey!" my mom shouts from the kitchen. She's preparing dinner and I'm reading on the couch while my dad is watching the news.

I stand up and I go grab it, but when I see the person that sent me a text I wonder what this is about.

"**You owe me one, McCullers. – Spencer Hastings (aka: your worst enemy.)"**

I can't help but laughing loudly when I read Spencer's text. Before I had the chance to get to know her, I admit I was under the impression that she was a really disagreeable girl, but she is nicer than I expected. And she has a great sense of humor, although she doesn't smile a lot.

"So, are you excited about the trip, Paigey?" my mom asks once we're sitting on the table ready to eat.

"Of course I am," I admit happily. They don't know that I'm even more excited because Emily is coming with me, but that's a secret that I won't tell, I'm not stupid.

"Tomorrow you'll know if you're anchoring next week's meet, right?" my dad asks changing the subject. I don't know if I'm imagining things, but I have a feeling that he's calmer than usual.

"Yeah, the Coach said that it's highly probable that I'll be anchoring next meet. I mean, after Emily's accident, she's been recovering for a few days and she couldn't swim, so I guess it's on me," I add. I didn't realize I mentioned her name, my dad won't be happy about that.

"That's great," he says looking at me. Is he on drugs? He's not being totally nice, but he didn't say anything mean about my girlfriend, so that's a huge step for him.

"Well… Don't get used to it. She'll be on top form in the twinkling of an eye," I say staring at him.

"Why do you say that? Maybe you didn't notice, but you got better. If you keep training hard you could be the best swimmer on the team. If you make an effort, you can beat your girlfriend." I can't believe I heard that word coming out of his mouth. I look surprisedly at my mom, and she smiles at me.

Did he finally admit that he's proud of me because of my swimming?

Did he really called Emily "my girlfriend?

I'm puzzled by my dad's remark. I guess my mom realized that I didn't see that coming, 'cause she's smiling at me when she sees a look of astonishment on my face. I mean, I know this doesn't mean that he finally came to his senses about my sexual orientation, but I can't help but feeling a little bit delighted about his attitude.

"What? What did you say?" I insist. I guess I heard that wrong.

"I said that you're getting better. Your swimming has improved incredibly over this last year. That's a fact," he adds not making eye contact with me.

"Thanks, dad. I really appreciate it," I say staring at him. My mom keeps showing me her wide smile, I'm pretty sure of her involvement in this matter, she must have done something, this sudden kindness is not like him.

After finishing dinner I go upstairs to pack my suitcase because tomorrow I gotta go to swimming practice very early and we are leaving after school, so I won't have time to do that tomorrow. I'm so excited that it's almost impossible to sleep, so I decide to read a book, it always works. I read for almost two hours and I finally fall asleep with a wide smile in my face. This trip is going to be legen… wait for it… dary.

**Emily's POV**

Last night I couldn't sleep due to the excitement I was feeling. That's why I'm exhausted, I barely slept five hours and now I gotta swim for over an hour. It's not going to be easy, but I need to start swimming again if I want to be ready for next week's meet. Although I'm very tired, I'm dying to go to practice and see Paige.

After having breakfast I leave my house and grab another cup of coffee on my way to school. I need caffeine on my veins, I'm still sleepy and I want to be ready for practice.

I walk in the locker room with a smiley face, willing to see my girlfriend. Instead, I see Paige talking to Kate, but they don't notice me. I stop walking, I just stand there, staring at them while they keep laughing loudly. Kate keeps staring at Paige, her look is bothering me. I don't know if I'm crazy, but I don't think I look at my friends like that.

"Don't be paranoid!" I think to myself.

Suddenly Paige turns around and she looks at me.

"Hey! What are you doing standing there like a dummy?" Paige jokes while she approaches me. "Come here," she says before she kisses me in front of her "friend". This kiss is the only thing that I needed to forget the excessive fatigue and my doubts about Kate.

"I… just… got here," I add staring at her.

"Hi, Em. See you at the pool, girls!," Kate says as she waves at us. At least she had the decency to leave, 'cause I don't want to share my girlfriend.

"So… I know you talked to Spencer. She texted me," she says laughing slightly.

"Yeah, everything is going according to plan. Why are you laughing?" I ask smiling at her while I hold her around her waist and come inches closer to her.

"It's nothing. It's just… Your friend is funny, that's all," she adds as she runs her fingers through my hair. It feels great, she definitely knows how to keep me happy.

When we see the other girls entering the locker room followed by Coach Fulton, we stop flirting immediately.

"So, what time are we leaving later?" I ask. I'll be having lunch with my friends, because they want to spend time with me before I leave for the whole weekend.

"5 pm? I'll pick you up at your place, so be ready. I don't want to get too late, Mark will be waiting for us so he can give us the keys," she says staring at me.

"Okay, great. Besides, my mom won't be at home, so we'll be alone. Now, go put on your swimsuit, or Coach will get mad at us. Some of the girls are already inside the pool."

"Yes, mom," she teases as she walks away smiling at me.

**Paige's POV**

Finally the moment has arrived, I park my car in Emily's driveway and I get out of it so I can put her suitcase in the trunk. She says hi smiling at me and we jump into our respective car seats happily.

"How are you feeling? I know I kicked your ass at practice," I joke looking at her exhausted face.

"Wait a few days more, I'm still recovering from the accident," she teases me. She's not wrong about that, her swimming is incredible, and in the water she's faster than me.

"I'm serious, are you okay? You look very tired, Em," I add as I caress her face.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just need to sleep, but I'm feeling great," she insists smiling at me.

"You could use some sleep. Why don't you sleep while I drive? You'll feel better if you rest a few hours."

"You're gonna get bored, Paigey. Don't worry about me," she says staring at me with those beautiful eyes.

I like to drive admiring nice views, so I don't care if she sleeps. After 30 minutes of silence she starts nodding off to sleep, she can't keep her eyes open. I look at her and I can't help but laughing slightly, it's hilarious. She finally falls asleep, she looks like an angel. Meanwhile I keep driving with a wide smile on my face.

After a few hours we get to Brooklyn and I park the car exactly where Mark told me to. When I turn off the engine I look at Emily and she's sleeping like a baby, but I have to wake her up. I look in front of me and I see Mark waving at me while she approaches. I get out of the car and I hug him tightly.

"How are you, Paigey? Did you miss me?" he asks before kissing me on the cheek.

"I didn't miss you at all," I tease him. "I really appreciate this, I mean it. You made our day," I add staring at him.

"You're welcome. When my friend told me to spend the weekend at his place I thought that you deserved a week estranged from your dad," he says nicely.

"Actually, I think dad could be changing. I'm not sure yet, but I got a feeling things are gonna change soon," I admit smiling at him.

"That's great news, Paigey. So, where is she?" he says looking inside the car.

"She was very tired, she's sleeping, but I gotta wake her up," I add.

All of a sudden he approaches the co-driver door and he opens it not making a noise.

"Fire, fire, fire, fire! Run for your life!" he starts yelling loudly.

If I knew he would do that, I'd have stopped him. Emily jumps out of the car seat and she starts screaming like a maniac, she got the fright of her life. I know that was not okay, but I can't help but bursting into laughter when I see her face, it's hilarious.

"Jerk! I won't hit you 'cause I'm crashing at your place!" she yells at him while he keeps guffawing. When she looks at me and she realizes that I'm wiping the tears from my eyes of laughing, she starts laughing too.

"Welcome to my beautiful city, Emily," Mark jokes. "Here are the keys," he adds. "If you need anything, call me, no matter what time it is. I'm serious," he says with a very serious expression.

"Okay, thanks, Mark," I add.

"I must go now, but I'll be back on Sunday. Don't get into trouble, I trust you, Paigey," he adds staring at me.

"Don't worry, we'll be fine," I say.

"Behave yourselves, girls. And call me if anything happens, please," he says before he approaches and he gives both of us a hug.

"Have fun," we add as he walks away.

"Bye, girls. Enjoy the city."

I didn't expect his apartment to be so pretty. It's small, but it's perfect. When I walk in the kitchen I see a note with Mark's handwriting on the kitchen counter.

**Don't get lost. XOXO**

There are two 2-Day MetroCards, 2 Broadways tickets for The Lion King and a book of New York City Travel Guide next to the note.

"The Lion King? Are you kidding?" Emily says very excited.

"No, I'm not. Tomorrow night, Em," I say smiling at her.

"Okay, I forgive him for what he did earlier," Emily admits cheerfully.

"I'm going to call my mom, she told me to call once I was here. Then I'm gonna hit the shower," I add. "Silence, please. Remember you're not here," I say smiling at her.

"Okay," she says getting closer to me with a smile on her face.

"Hi, mom. I just got here. I'm with Mark," I say as Emily starts kissing my neck. I stare at her and gesture to her to be quiet and to stop doing that, I can't help laughing.

"Okay, great. Why are you laughing?" she asks while Emily keeps kissing me and I slightly moan. "What was that?"

"Mark is making fun of me. Well, mom, I got to go. I´ll call you tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay. Have fun, honey! Bye!"

"Bye, mom," I add.

"Why are you looking at me like that? I thought you liked what I was doing," Emily says smiling at me.

"It wasn't the right time, dummy," I tease her as I open the bathroom door to have a shower.

**Emily's POV**

While Paige is having a shower I turn on the TV and I sit on the couch. Paige's phone is beeping, I grab it to look who's calling. It's just a text from Kate. After hesitating for a few seconds, I put my finger on the "Open" button and I read the text:

"**I can't stop thinking about our conversation. – Kate."**

I frown, I don't know what she's talking about, but I don't like it one little bit. I know I shouldn't have snooped on her cell, I regret doing that, but now there's no going back.

**To be continued…**


	21. Chapter 21: The Big Apple - Part 2

**Thanks for your support, guys! The second part of Paily in NYC is finally here. I'm sorry I didn't update sooner. :( But I can assure you this chapter is really interesting, it was fun writing it.**

**I'll try to update as soon as possible, but be patient, please. ;)**

**Don't forget I am not a native English speaker, so I apologize in advance for my grammar mistakes. **

**dayabieberxo: I hate that too, 'cause I don't like other people spying on my texts, although I understand Emily a little bit. :)**

** : Thank you for your kind words! I love jealous Emily too, that's why I made up Kate's character. You'll know what is going on with Kate in this chapter, and she's not disappearing from Paige's life yet, although Emily would want that to happen. LOL**

**del: Thanks! Paige's dad words were hilarious. xD You really hate Kate. Hahaha. Em will try to make things right. This chapter has good and bad moments, but I hope you like it. :)**

**Emily's POV**

Before Paige gets out of the shower, I call Hanna. I need to tell somebody the horrendous thing I did.

"Hey! Did you already get there? How was the trip?" she asks nicely.

"Hi. Yes, we're at her cousin's apartment. I needed to talk to you. I made a mistake, Hanna," I say sadly. I feel really ashamed of what I did. I'm really angry because of my stupidity, I don't want to screw this weekend up.

"What did you do, Em? You're scaring me," she adds.

"I read a text that Kate sent Paige while she was showering in the bathroom. I guess I acted on impulse, I didn't think of the consequences, I've blown it," I add angrily.

"Why the hell did you do that? You said you trusted her. What is wrong with you?"

"I know I made a mistake, don't tell me off. I don't want to have an argument with you, please," I say holding back the tears.

"Okay, I'm sorry, Em. I don't know what to say. I suppose you should tell her the truth. If you hide that you spied on her, she'll notice something is wrong and it will be even worse. If I were you, I'd tell her that I was sorry. It's the only way to make things right, Em."

"So… did you find out anything yet? I mean… You know, Kate," I add shyly.

"Are you serious? Do you really think Paige is cheating on you after she took the trouble to organize this trip to be alone with you? Come on!"

"I didn't like that text, Hanna. I just want to know the truth," I insist.

"Then talk to your girlfriend, dummy," she adds. "Ok, I'll tell you, but I don't think it'd be good for you," she insists after a pause. "I know that she's not dating anyone right now, but I don't know if she plays for your team, if you know what I mean," she jokes.

"So, maybe she likes girls," I add sarcastically.

"Or maybe not. Even if that's the case, it doesn't mean anything," she adds wisely. I can't believe Hanna is lecturing me on what to do with my girlfriend. This is really surreal.

"You're right, I'm a fool. Thanks, Hanna. I got to go, Paige is about to get out of the bathroom."

"Okay. Keep me posted, please. Don't be nervous, just apologize and be nice to her. Bye, Em."

"Bye," I add. Paige opens the door at that exact moment and she smiles at me. She's wearing shorts and a tank top, and she put her hair in a pony tail. She's looking so hot that I don't know if I'll be able to handle this tricky situation.

"Who were you talking to?" she asks nicely.

"Hanna," I say concisely.

"What's wrong, Em?" she asks staring at me after sitting next to me.

"Don't be mad at me, please," I say shyly.

"Why would I be mad at you?" she adds as she puts her hand on my thigh.

"When you were showering… ummm… your phone started beeping and I read the text Kate sent you. I'm so sorry, it wasn't my intention, I didn't even think what I was doing," I add while I hold her hands. She suddenly stands up and gets her phone.

"You know, this is private," she says pointing at her cell. She's pissed off, I can see it in her eyes.

"I'm so sorry, I acted on impulse and I know that doesn't justify my behaviour, but I'm embarrassed. Forgive me, please," I beg her as I get closer to her.

"What is wrong with you, Emily? Don't you trust me? I said I loved you, what else do you want me to do?" she asks frowning.

"I love you too, Paige. I don't know what to say. I fucked up, there's nothing I can do now except apologizing to you."

"I'm sick of your paranoia. I've been in love with you for a long time, I came out, I told you I liked you, I had to deal with your mom and now I invited you here. I thought that was enough to prove that I want you more than anything in my life," she says with her shaking voice. She is staring at the floor, she clearly wants to avert her eyes from mine.

"I know, Paige. And I love you more than you'll ever know," I admit approaching to her. I put my hand under her chin and I raise her head so I can look her in the eye. "But I'm an idiot and after reading that text I got suspicious. Can you blame me for that? You gotta admit that text is really weird," I add staring at her.

"Oh, God, Emily," she yells while she looks angrily at me. "She's a cutter! Are you happy now? I wasn't supposed to say anything, she doesn't want anyone to know," she says shouting at me.

"Oh… So, the conversation…" I start saying with a stunned face when she interrupts me.

"She needs help, Emily. I was just trying to help her with her problem. She's got it almost under control, but she needs support. I told her that she had to be tough, that life is worth living. It's not easy, you know," she says with a sad face expression.

"I'm so sorry, Paige," I add while I hug her tightly. "Will you forgive me, please?" I ask staring at her.

"Well… I have no choice, we're spending the whole weekend together, so…" she says not looking directly at me yet.

"What does that mean exactly?" I ask frowning.

"It means that I forgive you. But you gotta stop that bullshit! I'm tired of fighting over nonsense," she insists staring at me.

We both sit down on the couch and I cuddle with her, but she's still a little bit angry, so she keeps staring at the TV in silence.

"Paige…" I say staring at her.

"What?"

"It's the first time I hear you say something about, you know, your cutting problem," I say as I hold her hand.

"I don't like to talk about that." she admits.

"Okay, then don't," I say nicely.

"I didn't mean to be rude," she says smiling lightly. "What do you want to know?"

"I don't want to force you to talk about that," I admit as I keep holding her hands.

"Last time I checked you were my girlfriend, I suppose I should tell you everything, right?" she asks looking at me. I smile at her, I think her anger is subsiding quicker than I thought. I'm glad she's so forgiving, because I know I wouldn't forgive her so easily if she did that to me. That thought makes me feel really bad. I'm really lucky my girlfriend is the sweetest person I've ever known.

"Yeah, I'm glad I'm still your girlfriend despite my ability to screw us up."

"You're right. You're lucky you're so hot, otherwise I don't know what could have happened," she jokes.

"Shut up, dummy!" I tease her.

"So… what do you want to know about it?" she insists changing her face expression.

"Why? I mean, you're gorgeous, you're perfect," I add nicely.

"A lot of things happened at the same time: my dad pushing me to improve my swimming, I had no friends, I was feeling alone, I met you…"

"Meeting me was a problem? What do you mean?" I ask surprisingly.

"I realized that I liked you, and I felt like shit because I shouldn't have those feelings. I mean, at that moment it felt wrong. Hurting myself felt good," she says sadly.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that," I say as I say hug her tightly.

"Luckily that's a thing of the past. It won't happen again, now my life is great," she says smiling at me. "So, are you hungry? There's a pizza place nearby," she adds.

After eating some delicious slices of pizza we go back to the apartment. Paige gets into bed, and I decide to have a quick shower. After showering I walk in the bedroom and she's already asleep, I suppose she was tired too, 'cause she drove all the way to the city. She seems calm, she's even more beautiful when she's sleeping. I kiss her on the cheek and I lie down next to her, cuddling her tightly. I feel her breath on my face, I could stay awake all night watching her sleep, she's so cute.

**Paige's POV**

Emily's jealousy got me very angry, because it's not the first time she thinks Kate is more than a friend, and I made it very clear that I was in love with her. I admit Kate is attractive, but I'm not interested in her, I just want to help her. After everything that happened last night, I decided not to be angry at her. I mean, she apologized, and I really think that she's ashamed of her behaviour. Besides, her jealousy could be a good thing too, that means she loves me more than I thought and she's afraid of losing me. That's why I want to show her that I won't do anything to screw up our relationship, she doesn't need to worry about other girls if the girl of my dreams is dating me.

When I wake up after getting a good night's sleep, I turn around to say good morning to Emily, but she's not in bed. I get up and look everywhere, but I think she left, she's not in the apartment. Suddenly I see the door is opening.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," she says smiling at me widely.

"Where did you go? When I woke up and you weren't here…" I add not finishing the sentence because Emily interrupts me.

"Did you think I left?" she asks laughing at me. "Come on, Paigey."

"I was a little bit worried. So, what do you got there?" I ask pointing at the bag she's carrying.

"Your breakfast: a huge cup of coffee, fresh pineapple juice, bagels and chocolate-filled croissants," she says cheerfully. "This is my way of apologizing to my beautiful girlfriend."

"Thank you! I'm starving," I say excitedly. I get closer to her and I gaze at her eyes while I moisten my lips. She is staring at my lips. I give her an intense kiss while I put my hands on the sides of her face, using my thumb to sweep across her cheekbone. She instantly leaves the bag on the table that's next to where we're standing and she holds me at the waist. She slowly enters her hand under my tank top and starts caressing my back gently while we keep kissing passionately.

"Are you still mad at me?" she whispers in my ear before kissing my neck softly.

"What do you think?" I reply kissing her again until we're both breathless. We suddenly stop, our foreheads touching, eye open, and we smile at each other.

"Do you want to have breakfast or do you prefer to keep groping me? she asks grinning at me.

"Tough choice," I answer putting on a thoughtful expression. "I guess I prefer to eat," I tease her. She nods her head while she smiles at me.

"Okay, enjoy the breakfast, Paigey," she says staring at me. She takes the food out of the bag and she hands me the coffee.

"Thanks, Em!" I say as I lean on to give her a soft kiss.

"You're welcome," she adds while she caresses my face affectionately.

"So, what do you want to do today? I ask as I sip the coffee.

"The observatory of the Empire State Building," she says excitedly.

"Okay," I say laughing at her when I see her wide smile. "Then we could go to the Financial District, take a walk in Soho and Tribeca, grab some sandwiches and have lunch in Central Park. After that we could enjoy a walk down the Fifth Avenue, watch your favorite Broadway show and end our day having a pleasant dinner with me," I say grinning at her.

"Wow! You've got it all planned out," she says with her eyes wide open. "I love it," she adds as she holds my hand.

I think I've never seen Emily so happy, she's really enjoying the trip, and so am I. Despite the long lines at the Empire State Building, we really enjoyed the wait talking non-stop till we got to the observatory. The views were amazing. I really enjoyed looking down to see the tiny yellow cabs and pedestrians from 1,050 feet, although I'm a little bit afraid of heights. After taking a lot of pictures, we decided to begin our Downtown tour. Although the walk was exhausting, I loved holding Emily's hand and enjoying the offerings of Tribeca's cast-iron architecture and Soho's lofts and art galleries. After that, we grabbed hot dogs and a box of delicious cupcakes and headed to the Great Lawn at Central Park. After walking down the most famous avenue of the city and enjoying The Lion King show, I feel tiredness all over my body, but I'm really happy.

"It was awesome," I say eagerly. "I really loved the show, I didn't expect to enjoy it, but it was amazing," I insist. I'm not a musical fanatic, but I gotta admit this one was incredible.

"That was beyond amazing," Emily adds. "You know, The Lion King is one of my favorite movies, so this was a dream come true," she says euphorically.

"I'm exhausted though," I say sighing. "What do you say if we get Chinese food and go to the apartment?"

"I'm tired too, I like your idea," she adds as she holds my hand, fingers intertwined.

After we get to the apartment and have dinner sitting on the couch in front of the TV, my phone starts ringing.

"Hey! How are you?"

"Hi. Call your mom immediately, Em," Spencer says nervously.

"What's going on? What did she do?" I ask impatiently.

"She's been calling you and you didn't answer, so she called me and I told her you were in the shower. I don't think she's suspicious, but call her before she starts thinking that you're not really at my place."

"Ok, thanks for calling, Spence. I'll call her right now, don't worry."

"By the way, say thank you to Paige," she says cheerfully.

"Why?" I ask frowning while I look at Paige.

"This morning I received a package full of chocolates. The card said 'Thank you'. I guess it was your girlfriend."

"It wasn't me, that's for sure," I add happily. "I didn't know anything about it, but it doesn't surprise me at all," I add while I smile at Paige. She doesn't know what we're talking about, but she smiles back at me.

"Have fun and call your mother, Em."

"Sure, thanks again, Spence. See you tomorrow," I add.

"Is something wrong?" Paige asks staring at me.

"No, I just have to call my mom, she's been calling me and she called Spencer too. I'm going to call her, okay?" I say while I go the bedroom so I don't get distracted by Paige.

"Hi, mom! Spencer told me that you called. I was in the shower. What's up?" I ask nicely.

"I've been calling you. Where were you?"

"We just… I forgot my phone at Spencer's, and we just got home, so… I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I just wanted to know if you were okay," she says nicely.

"I'm fine, mom. Spencer takes very good care of me," I add laughing lightly.

"Okay, honey. Have fun. Call me tomorrow, please." It's weird that she is behaving like this. I hope she doesn't really know I'm not staying at Spencer's.

"Yeah, sure. I'll call you tomorrow, mom. Good night," I add nervously.

"Bye, honey."

When I go back to the living room Paige is smiling in front of the TV.

"Come here," she says with her arms wide open and smiling at me. I sit down on her lap and I smile back at her.

"Did you send those chocolates to Spence?" I ask looking her in the eye.

"Well… I hope she likes chocolate, 'cause those are my favorite, they're delicious," she adds giggling.

"You didn't have to do that. I mean, that was really great. She told me to thank you. And yes, she's a chocolate addict, so she really appreciates your gift," I insist. "Do you know you are the cutest person in the world?"

"I love you too, Emily," she adds looking at me. She suddenly lays me in the couch and she gets on top of me. She slowly leans down till our faces are only inches apart, closing the distance between our bodies. I can feel her breathing, she wraps her hands around my neck and she bites her lips before they meet my lips intensely. I open my eyes and I smile at her, she smiles back at me and her hands begin to caress my body while she kisses me gently on my neck. I can't help but moaning lightly, my body is quivering from her touch. She kisses me again, opening her mouth a little bit more and gently pushing her tongue into my mouth. I kissed her back and she smiles lightly, I think she realized that I can't get enough of her.

"Do you want me to stop?" she whispers in my ear breathing heavily.

"Don't stop, please," I add while I take off her t-shirt and kiss her passionately again.

**To be continued…**


	22. Chapter 22: The Big Apple - Part 3

**Thanks for your support, guys! I know that this chapter is really short, but I wanted to publish it so you don't have to wait anymore. I'll try to update this weekend, 'cause these days have been hectic and I barely have time to write. Don't forget I am not a native English speaker, so I apologize in advance for my grammar mistakes. **

**Guest: Thank you!**

**glorymania: It didn't even cross my mind to change the actual rating till now. It's not because I wouldn't feel comfortable writing about sex stuff, I just have other ideas in mind right now. But if I decide to direct the story that way, I'll let you know. :) Yeah, that's why I wanted to finish the chapter with that scene, something really good after the fight. :D**

**Cony: Gracias. Más romanticismo en este capítulo. Espero que te guste y que no estés tan ocupada para poder dedicarte a leer la historia. :)**

**del: I'm glad that you're suspicious about Kate. xD Pam is hiding something, this chapter throws some light on the subject. I guess you noticed I love suspense. Haha. Thank you!**

**Paige's POV**

I wake up when I feel Emily's kisses on my back and neck. It's definitely a better way to wake up than opening my eyes to turn off the annoying alarm clock piercing my eardrums. I open my eyes with a wide smile on my face and I turn to her.

"Morning," I say smiling and looking at her with my sleepy eyes. I hold her face with both my hands and I kiss her passionately.

"Good morning," she replies smirking. "Did you sleep well?" she asks giggling.

"Well… Yeah, I'd like to sleep more hours, I need my beauty sleep, but, you know…" I joke.

"I didn't force you to do something that you didn't want to do," she adds smirking.

"Yeah, right," I admit smiling at her.

She jumps out of bed and I can't help myself from checking her out. She's wearing black panties and a white tank top, it's a simple outfit, but it drives me crazy. I can tell that she knows what I'm thinking right now just by the way she's looking at me.

"I'm going to take a shower, okay?" she says giving me a huge grin.

"What I'm supposed to do in the meantime?" I ask smiling at her.

"You can join me, but that's just a suggestion," she says looking at me with her sexy gaze.

"Just go," I say smiling at her while I throw her the pillow. I admit it's a tempting proposal, but I guess making the most of the day and the city would be the most common adult behavior. When I hear the water running in the shower, the image of her perfect body comes to my mind, but I'm stronger than that. Instead, I decide to go the café just around the corner to grab our breakfast. After having breakfast I want to enjoy the views of this beautiful city, because we're leaving early, we don't want to get to Rosewood very late. Mark already told me to hand the keys to his neighbor, he's not going to make it before we leave. He just told me to call when we get to Rosewood. I'm really grateful to him, he's been so nice that I can't believe he is my dad's nephew. Well, maybe after all, my dad and his family are not as bad as I imagined.

After buying breakfast I take the elevator because I'm loaded down with all the food that I bought. I admit I couldn't resist the temptation to buy everything when I saw so much delicious food in front of me. I try to open the door but I can't find the right key. Luckily, Emily opens the door when she hears the noise I'm making.

"What is going on?" she asks laughing at me.

"I'd really appreciate your help," I add frowning. I hand her the huge cups of coffee, and she keeps laughing at me.

"Thanks, honey. Everything looks delicious," she says when she takes out of the bag everything I got. We both sit and start eating immediately, we're hungry and everything is delicious.

"So… yesterday…" My expression becomes very serious.

"You were great. I guess you noticed I liked it," she adds smirking. She gets closer and she kisses me putting her hands on my thighs while I'm still sitting. I hold her around the waist and I kiss her back.

"It was the best moment of my life," I say as I keep holding her waist and looking her in the eye.

"I love you." Our lips meet again and my hands start touching her body instinctively.

"Stop, McCullers. It's breakfast time, the most sacred time of the day" she jokes smiling at me and sitting on her chair again.

"Oh, darn," I add teasing her.

"So, what do you want to do this morning before going back to Rosewood?" she asks changing the subject.

"I don't know, there are a lot of beautiful places to visit: Rockefeller Center, Washington Square Park. We could even walk across the Brooklyn Bridge…"

"The last one, please," she insists looking excitedly.

"Then we'll walk across the bridge from Manhattan, take some pictures and finally use the subway to visit Rockefeller Center and Washington Square, if we have time." I look at her and she's nodding, she clearly likes my plan.

"What time do you want to leave?" she adds looking at me while she takes a sip coffee.

"I don't mind, but I'd prefer to get there as soon as possible, 'cause your mom will be waiting for you and I don't want her to find out that I abducted you. She's team Paige now, so…" I say smirking.

"Okay, great," she adds cheerfully. "But stop being so adorable, Paigey. You're making it very hard to me to not kiss you," she says flirtatiously.

"Who said that you weren't allowed to kiss me, Fields?" I giggle as I stand up. I slowly approach her and put my hands on her thighs, just like she did some minutes ago. She holds my waist and she gives me a kiss that makes my heart pound very fast and she almost leaves me breathless.

When we leave the apartment she instantly holds my hand tightly. That makes me feel really great, but I'm also confused, because before knowing Emily I was the type of person who would talk shit about happy couples being engrossed in one another. Walking across the most famous bridge in the city is an awesome experience. We take as many pictures as the Japanese tourists that are behind us. I've always enjoyed taking pictures, but with the views of the city's skyline and my beautiful girlfriend, it's almost impossible not to love the art of photography. When we get to Brooklyn after an intense walk, we both enjoy the views of Manhattan from the Brooklyn Heights Promenade with a stunned look on our faces. It's a shame that we didn't come here last night, because the views of the city must be stunning after the sun disappears. Anyway, we weren't exactly thinking of that last night. Taking the subway and resting a little bit after the long walk feels really great. After visiting Rockefeller Plaza and Washington Square Park, we decide to grab lunch and go back to the apartment. This morning was definitely time well spent, but when we get to Mark's place and we sit on the couch we realize that we're exhausted. We eat lunch, grab our suitcases and we start our trip back to Rosewood. I start my engine and suddenly Emily's cellphone starts ringing.

"Hi, mom. How are you?" she asks as she gestures to me not to say a word. I nod at her.

"I'm at Spencer's," she lies.

"What are you…?" She can't even finish the sentence. She frowns. "No, I'm not lying, mom," she adds. She looks worried, but I keep driving, there's nothing I can do.

"Don't… Please." The expression on her face tells everything. She stares surprisingly at the phone and she looks at me.

"She knows, Paige," she adds looking at me sadly.

**To be continued…**


	23. Chapter 23: Back to Rosewood

**Thanks, guys! This chapter is longer than the one before, I wanted to repay you for my lack of time to write the story. :) Besides, I loved writing it, so I hope you like it.**

**I'll try to update as soon as possible. Don't forget I am not a native English speaker, so I apologize in advance for my grammar mistakes.**

**glorymania: I know they were cute and everything was perfect between them. But you know how much I love twists and cliffhangers. That's why Pam needed to know the truth. :D**

**del: Thank you! There'll be more hot moments between them, don't worry about that. xD**

**Emily's POV**

I am still in a state of shock after hanging up my phone. I can't believe my mom figured out that I wasn't staying at Spencer's, because she didn't call me, and that is not like Spencer. I mean, if she knew my mom knew the truth about this weekend, she would have called instantly.

"Are you okay, Em? Do you want to stop?" Paige asks while she keeps her attention on the road.

"I'm not okay, my mom is going to be so pissed off. But I don't want to stop, I want to get to Rosewood as soon as possible, this wait is killing me," I add while I tap my feet nervously.

"Everything is going to be alright. Don't worry. You just have to tell the truth. She'll understand, I'm sure of it," she adds. She puts her hand on my thigh, but it doesn't work, I can't help but imagine my mom creating a ruckus when I get home. I know the moment I open the door she'll be standing in front of me with her arms crossed and with that anger face I'm so afraid of.

"It won't be so easy, Paige! You don't know my mom!" I yell at her. I'm worried, but I instantly realize that I'm being unfair to her, she didn't do anything wrong.

"Calm down, okay? There's no need to be rude, Emily," she says frowning. "I'm just trying to be nice," she adds staring at me.

"I'm sorry, Paige," I say as I caress her hand. "I'm nervous, that's all," I insist.

"I understand that you're upset, but that attitude won't help. I know that it won't be easy, but you've got to be honest to her. At this point, it's the only thing you can do, Em." She looks and she gives me a huge grin showing her perfect teeth. I realize that it's scientifically impossible not to fall for a girl like her. After hearing her kind words and getting hypnotized by her smile, I'm feeling better.

"You're right, as usual," I add smiling at her. I lean on to kiss her on the cheek once, but her perfume drives me crazy and I start kissing her neck. A minute ago I was yelling at her and now I can't stop touching her, I think she made me bipolar.

"Hey, pervert! Stop it, I'm driving," she says smiling at me. "And I don't want your mom to hate me even more because we got involved in an accident owing to your urges." She bursts out laughing, I love her sense of humor.

"You didn't say that last night," I tease her. She grins at me and she blushes. "I'm going to call Spencer, I want to know what the hell happened," I add as I change my face expression.

I dial her number and she answers right away, she's like Flash.

"Hi, Em. How are things going?" she asks cheerfully. She clearly doesn't know what happened, she seems happy.

"Hi. We're on the road, we'll get there in a few hours. I got a call from my mom half an hour ago. She knows that I lied, Spence," I add.

"Whaaaaaaaaaat? How is that possible? I swear I didn't say a word, Em."

"I don't know what happened, the point is that she knows. I knew that you didn't tell her where I was, I just wanted to know if you knew anything about it."

"I'm sorry, she didn't call after yesterday's call. You know, when I told her that you were showering and you'd call her later. I guess you called her back."

"Yeah, I did, but I noticed that she was worried about something. I suppose she was suspicious that I wasn't at your place. Anyway, don't worry, Spence. Thank you again, this weekend was awesome," I add as I smile at Paige.

"So, she doesn't know anything, right?" Paige asks after I hang up and keep my phone in my purse.

"Yeah, she was shocked when I told her. I guess we'll have to wait to know what really happened." She nods at me and she turns on the radio.

We stay in silence for over the rest of the trip, I can't stop thinking about my mom. When we see the town sign that says Rosewood I realize that I'm a nervous wreck. I look at Paige and she holds my hand. When we're about to get to my place I see two people standing outside my house from the distance.

"Tell me I'm dreaming," I say looking at Paige as I raise my eyebrows.

"What the hell is my mom doing here?" Paige asks frowning.

My mom and Paige's mom are standing in my front yard staring at us. I can't believe what my eyes are seeing.

"Relax, don't be nervous, okay?" she says smiling at me. How I'm supposed to act normal if my mom and her mom are waiting for us? I have a feeling this won't end well, but I decide to get out of the car and deal with her. I approach my mom and Paige gets closer to the other woman standing next to my mom. It's the first time I see her, I didn't expect her to be so handsome, but then I look at her daughter and I understand that her genes must be good. I know Paige's dad because he's attended a lot of meets, but she's never there. She looks at me and she smiles lightly, she doesn't seem to be angry at all. I smile back and then I get closer to my mom lowering my eyes on shame.

"We should talk this in private," she says putting on a serious face. "It was nice meeting you, despite the circumstances," she adds looking at Paige's mom.

"It was nice meeting you too," she adds cheerfully. Paige nods at me, I guess she's trying to tell me to be brave. Then they get into the car and they leave waving at us. I don't think Paige's mom was very mad, so my girlfriend is very lucky. I'm wondering if my mom is really angry at me. When we get to the living room she points at the couch and she sits next to me.

"Why did you lie?" she asks staring at me. I can see she's hurt and I'm very ashamed, because I know she's right.

"I'm really sorry, mom. I made a mistake and…" I say staring at the carpet, I can't even look her in the eye.

"I asked you a question, Emily," she asks sharply.

"Because I knew you wouldn't let me go," I answer shyly.

"Why do you think that?"

"Am I wrong? I mean, you hated her guts just a week ago," I say looking at her.

"That's not the point. It doesn't have anything to do with her. The fact is that you lied to me, and I don't like that. After everything we've been through I thought that I could trust you. I really thought that you had become an adult, I supposed that you had matured. But apparently I was wrong."

"I'm really sorry, mom. I know that I have no excuse," I admit. I'm really embarrassed. I can't believe that my mom thought that I'm not a child anymore and that she could trust me. I feel awful, I let her down and she's been so nice to me after accepting my relationship with Paige.

"I was disappointed and worried when I found out that you were out of town, honey."

"I swear it won't happen again. I feel awful, mom," I add almost crying. Suddenly she gets closer to me and she hugs me.

"It's okay, Emily. I just want you to know that you can tell me everything."

"I love you, mom," I say hugging her again. "By the way, I'm curious. How did you know, mom?" I ask changing the subject.

"When I called to Spencer's I noticed she was lying. She was stuttering and really nervous, that girl can't lie," she says laughing. "And I saw her on Friday and Saturday with that boy, Toby, you weren't with them, so I got suspicious. Then I talked on the phone with you and I instantly knew that you weren't saying the truth. Your voice tone changes when you lie," she adds smirking.

"Wow! You're quite a detective." I smile at her. "What about Paige's mom?" I ask anxiously.

"I knew you weren't at Spencer's, so you must be with Paige. I decided to call her house and her mom told me that she was in New York City with her cousin. I put two and two together."

"Now I get why she was here," I add smirking.

"At least tell me you had fun and she took good care of you," she says nicely.

"She always takes care of me, mom," I admit with a wide smile on my face.

**Paige's POV**

"You don't seem angry at me, mom," I add looking at her. She even smiled at Emily before jumping into the passenger's car seat.

"I'm a little bit disappointed at you, but at the same time I'm so happy for you," she says smiling at me. I don't understand what the hell she's talking about.

"You're a really weird person," I say laughing lightly. "You should be mad at me, I lied to you," I admit.

"Yeah, I don't want you to lie to me again, Paigey." She nods at me. "But it's great to see that you're happy after the problems you had not so long ago," she says showing me a wide grin. Now I get her point. I mean, when I went through the cutter phase she didn't know what to do with me. She wanted to help me, but I kept rejecting her help, she was helpless. In fact, she became a totally different person, she didn't even smile, and she's one of the happiest person on Earth. Luckily that phase is over, our lives have changed for good.

"Thank you, mom. I assure you I'm really happy. My life couldn't get any better." I smile at her and she caresses my shoulder.

"So… that was Emily," she says ironically. I look at her frowning, I don't know what that is supposed to mean.

"Yeah. You didn't know her, right?" I ask waiting for an explanation of her previous comment.

"I didn't know her, but I didn't expect her to be like that." She raises her eyebrows, I don't know what she's talking about.

"What do you mean?" I ask surprisedly.

"I mean… She's gorgeous," she adds smiling at me.

"Yeah, she's beautiful," I admit smirking. "Are you implying that she set her standards low?" I joke. She doesn't know I'm joking and she gives me a stunned look.

"No, I'm not, honey. You're the most beautiful girl in town, and you're adorable," she insists as she caresses my hand. "I'm just saying that you've got a good taste."

"I was teasing you, mom. Once you get a chance to get to know her, you'll love her even more," I admit with a smirky look on my face.

I park the car on the garage and we get out of the car. It's nice to be back at home after this hectic but lovely weekend.

"Yeah, ummm, about that… I was wondering if she would like to join us for dinner. But I don't want to pressure you, Paigey," she says as she closes the door of the car and grabs her purse.

"What about dad?" I ask as I raise my eyebrows.

"Don't worry about that. I've got it under control," she adds giving me a sincere smile.

I hear my cell phone beeping and I'm almost sure it's Emily. I look eagerly at the text I just got.

"**Everything is great, you were right. Your mom wasn't angry, so I guess you're okay. xD See you tomorrow at school, honey. XOXO"**

I'm glad Pam wasn't harsh on her, although I'm afraid her mom won't be so nice to me anymore.

**Emily's POV**

The next morning wasn't going as good as I expected after the amazing trip with Paige. I knew I wouldn't be anchoring the afternoon meet, but I didn't expect Coach Fulton to tell me that she preferred if I took this day off. She claimed that I wasn't ready to increase the physical activity and that she didn't want to put so much stress on me. I know that rest will do me good and that I'm not as fit as I'd like to, but I really think that I'm ready for this meet. At least I'm glad Paige will be anchoring, and I hope Kate gives the best of herself, that's the only way we're winning this meet.

I couldn't talk to Paige all morning because after finishing her classes she decided to go swim some laps before the meet. I knew she was very nervous and that she needed to be alone, so I decided to have lunch with my friends instead. They wouldn't stop asking questions about the trip, especially Hanna. After having lunch with them and attending another two classes, I went home to have a quick shower and get ready to see my girlfriend kick some ass. I didn't want to go alone to the meet, luckily Spencer said that she would come with me. Hanna and Aria had other plans and they're not into sports, so I didn't want to drag them.

We get to the natatorium and it's really crowded, so we try to get the best seats.

"I don't see her," I say as I look at my teammates standing next to the pool. Coach Fulton is telling them something and they're standing in a circle paying attention to the last words before the show starts. Suddenly I see that Paige looks at the stands and she waves at me with a wide smile on her face. I wave back and I give her a thumbs up.

"Who is that guy who's staring at us?" Spencer asks frowning and turning her head to the right.

I look to my right and I see Paige's dad staring at me. We're separated only by a few seats. I wouldn't have chosen these seats if I realized he was there. It's going to be awkward, that's for sure. He keeps staring at me, he's not giving me an angry look, but it's not a friendly look either. I smile lightly at him and he nods at me. I'm very confused, I don't know what the hell it meant, so I avert my gaze from his face.

"Nick McCullers," I add while I look ahead.

"I suppose he doesn't like you, right?" Spencer asks before I nod at her. "Ignore him. It's as simple as that," she adds smiling at me.

"You give the best advice, do you know that?" I say smiling at her, she grins at me.

I just need to concentrate on the meet, I don't have to worry about her dad and his strange looks. I came here to support her daughter, we're both in the same boat. The meet is about to start and Paige is warming up. I can't stop staring at her body, especially her perfect flat stomach. Suddenly Kate approaches her and she hugs her tightly. Kate says something in her hear, Paige is smiling, it feels like the hug doesn't end.

"Is that…" Spencer starts speaking, but she stops when she sees me frowning.

"Kate," I add straight-facedly.

"Okay," Spencer says awkwardly. She's trying to act normal, but I know she knows what I'm thinking.

"I'm fine. I trust her, we talked and she told me that they're just friends. There's nothing to worry about," I add categorically.

"You know, I didn't say anything, Em."

"I can't help but feeling jealous, but I trust her. I can't control my feelings, I guess that means that I love her more than I thought," I add shyly.

"I feel the same about Toby, it's totally understandable. You're not sick," she teases me.

After waiting another minute, the meet finally starts. The other team starts leading the race, it seems my teammates aren't as concentrated. This is a disaster, Coach Fulton is looking on in desperation as she sees her girls making a fool of themselves. Luckily that changes when Paige jumps into the pool. I had never seen her swim so fast, she's trying so hard that the whole natatorium starts cheering loudly. Her arms and legs are moving so fast that it seems her opponent is not moving at all. People start clapping loudly when Paige touches wall first, beating her opponent easily. I'm not quite sure, but it's highly probable that she even broke the high school swimming record. She was amazing. I feel the urge to yell 'That's my girlfriend, guys!', but it wouldn't be appropriate knowing that her homophobic father is sitting a few feet away from me. I stand up and clap with enthusiasm. I gaze at her dad and he's clapping too, he has a wide smile on his face, he's obviously proud of her daughter. She turns his head to the right and he realizes I'm as thrilled about her win as he is. I don't know if he's smiling at me or he's just happy because of Paige's heroic deed. When I look at Paige I see Kate is hugging her again, but it doesn't bother me, she's clearly happy because of the win. I'm not getting paranoid over nothing again.

**Paige's POV**

I'm breathless and I feel totally exhausted, but I feel great. I can't hide my happiness, and my teammates congratulate me with a hug and a huge grin on their faces. Kate is especially proud of me. I guess that she thinks I'm a model of survival after overcoming the cutter phase she's trying to leave behind too. I'm ecstatic, I hadn't feel so good in the water for a long time. However, I'm sad for Emily, she was ready to be part of the team, she needed this. When I'm ready to go take a shower I see that my dad is approaching me while he smiles at me. I don't even remember the last time I saw him so happy. He gets closer to hug me tightly. He doesn't even care that his clothes are getting wet. We spend almost twenty minutes talking to each other, he keeps on saying that he's very proud of me. I can't believe my ears, I've been waiting for this moment since the first day I joined the swimming team. When my dad leaves, I walk towards the locker room with a smile on my face. The locker room is empty, I suppose my teammates had the time to take a shower while I was with my dad. When I'm about to grab a towel, someone puts her soft hands over my eyes. This is a surprise I didn't expect.

**To be continued…**


	24. Chapter 24: Surprises

**Thank you so much, guys! I love your reviews. :)**

**After writing that last cliffhanger I believe that you deserve another chapter. Actually, I came up with so many ideas that I couldn't stop writing. I know this chapter is not very long, but something came up and I had to stop writing. I'll try to update as soon as possible, though. On the other hand, I don't know if you want me to keep writing more chapters or I should start thinking about a final chapter. I guess I'll decide that depending on how things develop in upcoming chapters. :)**

**Don't forget I am not a native English speaker, so I apologize in advance for my grammar mistakes.**

**glorymania: I agree with you, family support is really important. That's why I wanted the girls to be okay with their respective mothers. About those hands… you'll find out if you keep reading. Haha.**

** : Thanks! I assure you the dinner with the McCullers' will be interesting. :D **

**del: Thank you so much! You made my day with your review too. Wow! You're the only one who trusts Kate, good luck with that. xD I hope you like this chapter, I felt like I owed you guys a steamy Paily moment. ;)**

**Paige's POV**

"I don't know who you are, but I want to have a shower, please," I add with my eyes still covered with her hands.

"Who else in their right mind would do this?" she says before I turn around and see her smiling.

"I don't know, maybe a killer or… Kate," I tease her.

"That wasn't funny," she says frowning, but she can't hide that she's laughing on the inside. "By the way, what did she tell you in the ear?" she asks looking at me eagerly.

"She wished me luck. I love it when you get jealous, Em," I say smirking. "Did you come here to be grumpy with me?" I ask as I hold her hands. I smile at her, she's staring straight into my eyes.

"I came to say I'm very proud of you," she says getting closer to me. I can feel her breathing and I can smell her sweet perfume. I, on the other hand, can't smell very good, the combination of sweat and chlorine can't be sexy at all.

"Thank you." I look to the floor shyly. Maybe I'm a really odd person, but I am allergic to attention or praise, and I can't help but flush when my girlfriend mentions those words.

"You were amazing, Paigey. I mean, you made an epic comeback. Your dad was so proud of you, I could see it in his eyes.

"Thanks. Can we change the subject, please?" I blush, I'm not used to people praising me, and I can't still believe that my dad was so proud of me.

"I can't believe you're so humble, Paigey," she says giggling. "You know, your shyness turns me on," she smirks, and I look her in the eye still blushing. She suddenly pushes me against the shower wall and starts kissing me passionately while holding my face with her hands. She wasn't lying, she's REALLY proud of me.

"Whoa, If I knew you liked winning so much, I'd have swum even faster," I say almost breathless. She smiles at me as she slowly slides the swimsuit straps off my shoulders. "My dad is waiting for me, Em," I say breathing heavily. "What if somebody walks in and sees us…?" I start saying when she interrupts me with a huge kiss.

"Don't you like this?" she whispers in my ear with her sexy voice as she caresses my shoulders. "The girls left, we're alone," she says before kissing my neck. A soft moan comes out of my mouth. I grab her waist, I pull her close to my body and I lean in to kiss her with my lips slightly apart. She kisses me back lightly biting my lower lip, then I play with her tongue and she moans lightly. She puts her hand on the wall, accidentally pressing the shower push button and getting a little bit wet.

"I told you this was dangerous," I add smiling. I run my fingers through her wet hair and she starts touching my whole body as I kiss her slowly up and down the right side of her neck. When I'm about to pull her black buttoned-shirt open, the door opens and Kate walks in the locker room. She's looking at us with her eyes wide open, she's puzzled.

"I'm… ummm… I'm really… sorry," she says nervously. "I thought you were… alone, Paige. I'll leave you two alone," she adds awkwardly. She turns around and opens the door to leave as quickly as she had arrived.

"Ok, that was beyond awkward," Emily adds nodding at me with a wide smile on her face. "She should have knocked on the door," she jokes laughing.

"Maybe we should do this somewhere private, don't you think?" I ask smirking. "Besides, didn't you come with Spencer? Did she already leave?" I ask raising my eyebrows.

"No, she must be waiting outside," she admits.

"Okay, go, now. She's going to kill you." I don't think Spencer likes waiting, she must be the kind of person that takes punctuality seriously.

"Yeah, you're right," she adds as she heads for the door.

"Aren't you going to kiss me goodbye?" I ask giving her a huge grin. She approaches me with that sexy look and she cups my face before kissing me on the lips.

"Enough?" she asks sarcastically.

"No," I add while I grab her by the arm and pull her to me till she's chest to chest with me. I kiss her again until we're both breathless. "You can go now, Fields," I say grinning.

"See you tomorrow, McCullers," she says winking at me as he walks away.

"Bye, Em," I add smiling at her.

**Emily's POV**

"It was time…" Spencer says pointing her watch when I leave the locker room.

"I'm sorry, Spence. Thank you for waiting for me," I add smiling at her.

"Is your hair wet?" She's looking at me strangedly, her eyebrows raised. I guess she gets what really happened when I smile shyly. "Okay, I don't want to know, Em," she says shaking her head.

"What are you doing now? Do you feel like grabbing a coffee? It's on me, I owe you."

"Okay, great. But, what about your hair? You're going to get a cold."

"Don't worry about that. Let's go!" I add smiling.

"I guess you're a little bit disappointed because you didn't swim today," Spencer says when we get to the café.

"Well… Yeah, but I get that. I mean, Coach Fulton knows I'm not in great shape, but it's a matter of time and patience. In fact, I decided that I'm going to swim some laps after class everyday till I'm on top form. I guess I won't be anchoring next week's meet, but Paige's got everything under control," I add proudly.

"Yeah, she was amazing, I couldn't believe what my eyes were seeing."

"She's beyond amazing, I'm so happy for her." My face lights up, I can't hide my feelings for her.

"By the way, what are you going to do this summer?" she adds eagerly. I haven't really thought about that, I didn't even remember we finish this academic year next week. It's true what they say, time flies when you're happy.

"I don't know," I say hesitantly.

"Then I'm going to make you a proposition. I already told Hanna and Aria, and they both love the idea. You know my parents have a small house in Boston and I think it would be a great idea if we spent a week there," she says happily. Spencer can be humble too, I'm pretty sure her house in Boston is not small at all. It's nice that she doesn't brag about her family's wealth.

"Great, I love it. Count me in, Spence. I suppose my mom won't raise an objection to your plan."

**Paige's POV**

The next day I wake up especially happy after everything that happened yesterday. When I go downstairs to have breakfast, my parents are sitting at the table talking to each other. It seems they're in a good mood.

"Morning," I say looking at them.

"Good morning," they answer in unison.

"Your dad was telling me about your epic win, honey," my mom says grinning at me.

"Thanks." I smile at her. My dad is still as happy as he was yesterday.

"About that… A man approached me after the meet, Paige," my dad says with a huge grin on his face. My mom is looking oddly happy too.

"I don't understand what you're trying to say, dad," I say frowning.

"I guess you've heard about Watery summer swim camp," he says proudly.

"Are you saying that…?" I start saying, but I can't even finish the question. That's one of the most prestigious swimming schools in the country. They only accept the best swimmers in the country, they specifically choose the ones who will attend the courses. The chosen ones will surely end up getting a scholarship in one of the best universities in the country.

"Yeah, they want you to join them next week. The scouts have been keeping an eye on you for a long time, especially when your times started to improve. This is a once in a lifetime chance." I look at him with a surprised face, I'm in shock. I can't believe this is happening.

"Next week? For how long?"

"Three months, all summer. Only until you start your last high school year."

"That's a lot," I say sighing.

"Do you realize how important this is for your future? It's just three months that will change your life, Paige," my dad insists.

"I know, but…"

"What is the problem? Okay, I get it," he says nodding at me. "Is it because of that girl? If I'm not wrong that girl goes to your same high school, so she'll be there when you come back, Paige."

"I know, but it's not that easy," I insist with a sad look on my face. I won't deny I'd love to go to that swim camp, but leaving Emily here doesn't feel right. I know she could visit me, but things would change, long-distance relationships are so hard. I don't really think all long-distance relationships are doomed to fail, but that doesn't mean they can be hurtful. However, it's only three months, so I don't think that applies to our relationship.

"Think about it calmly. You have the final say," he says being strangely nice to me. It's really odd that he's giving me the right to choose, this is not like him. Perhaps his attitude towards me is lastly changing. I'm glad that he's finally treating me like an adult, I was sick of his previous crappy behavior.

"Okay, thanks," I add.

"Don't forget to tell Emily about tonight's dinner," my mom says abruptly.

"Tonight? I thought she was supposed to come over this weekend," I add frowning.

"I believed you said tonight, honey. But we could postpone it if you like," she says nicely.

"Well, I'll see what I can do, mom. I'll call you as soon as possible, okay?" She nods at me and continues eating while I go get a bowl.

I can't stop thinking about the serious problem I have on my hands. I don't know what to do, I'd like to talk to somebody, but I can't speak about this with Emily. I know she will be pissed when she hears about it. I mean, I'm pretty sure she'll be proud of me, but at the same time it won't make her happy if I leave for three months. Right now, I'd love to have friends. I could tell Kate, but if Emily found out that I told Kate before speaking with her, she'd kill me.

**To be continued…**


	25. Chapter 25: The dinner

**Thank you so much, guys! I love your reviews. :) Give me your thoughts, please. I wanted to write a longer chapter, but I have to leave right now and I wanted to publish this chapter. Sorry. ;) This chapter may have more mistakes than usual, 'cause I didn't have time to check.**

**I'll try to update as soon as possible, though. Don't forget I am not a native English speaker, so I apologize in advance for my grammar mistakes.**

**Paige's POV**

When my dad stops speaking about the swim camp, I keep eating my breakfast on silence. Thoughts keep popping in my head, I can only think about Emily. I know it won't be easy, but I got to be brave, so when I leave my house to go to school, I grab my cell and I dial Emily. I need to speak with her about the news, and I also got to tell her that my mom wants her over for dinner. In fact, I believe that she's even more excited about that dinner than I am.

She's not answering her phone, but I keep calling her. I'm nervous, I want to see her immediately, I don't like this awkward feeling I'm experiencing.

"Morning," she says with a raspy voice. "Did somebody die?" she jokes. I know I've been insistent, but this matter can't wait.

"Good morning. Where were you?"

"I was sleeping. In fact, you were my alarm clock. I'm not complaining, I love it," she adds happily. Right now I'd prefer if she wasn't so sweet, because I know I'll probably let her down.

"We need to talk," I say abruptly. I don't want to waste more time, so I cut to the chase.

"I don't like those four words, it's always a bad sign. What is wrong, Paige?"

"I just want to tell you something. Can we meet before first period class?"

"I only have two classes today, but I got a dentist appointment, so I'm not going to school. Is it really that important?"

"No, it's not," I lie. I don't want to worry her. "But I want to see you," I insist.

"We could meet later this afternoon," she adds nicely.

"About that… Are you free tonight? My mom wants you to come over to have dinner. But we could delay that if you don't want to…"

"Sure, why not?" she interrupts me. "I'd love to meet my awesome girlfriend's parents. Even if that means having to deal with your liberal dad," she says laughing. Her laugh couldn't be more beautiful, the sound of it makes me feel good.

"Call me this afternoon, I need to see you. Before dinner, please," I add trying to conceal my nerves.

"Wow, you really want to see me. I miss you too, Paigey," she says with her sexy voice.

"See you later, Em."

This means I got to wait till this afternoon. "_Fucking fantastic_," I think to myself. I'm pretty sure this morning will be unbearable. I'd love if I could close my eyes and when I opened them it was afternoon already, but I guess science is not as advanced as I'd like to.

The wait is interminable, but luckily the bell rings and I shoot off the classroom. When I'm walking home I repeatedly look at my phone, but Emily didn't call. It's weird. I'm getting very nervous, so I decide to call her instead. She doesn't answer. Damn it! I call her many times, the same thing happens. I guess there's only one thing I can do, go to her place. When I get there I ring the doorbell and I hear footsteps approaching behind the door. The door opens and her mom gives me a surprised look.

"Hi, Mrs. Fields. Is Emily home?" I ask shyly. She clearly didn't expect to see me, she looks puzzled.

"Hi," she says giving me a shy smile. "I think that she's with Aria, but I'm not one hundred percent sure," she adds nicely. "Did you try calling her?"

"Yeah, I did, more than once, but she doesn't pick up. Don't worry, I'll call her again. Thank you, Mrs. Fields," I say smiling lightly at her.

"You can call me Pam, Paige," she adds giving me a grin. I'm glad she's not angry at me after our trip to New York.

"Ok, thanks again. Have a nice day, Mrs. Fi… Sorry," I add grinning. "Have a nice day, Pam," I say smiling at her.

"Have a nice day, Paige," she says smiling back. "She's having dinner at your place, right?" she asks when I'm about to turn around and leave. I nod at her and she waves at me with a huge smile on her face. I finally won her over after everything I had to go through. Now I just want to have the same luck with her daughter.

I look at my watch, it's six forty-five and my mom told me that dinner was at seven. I don't know if I should go home or call Aria. When I'm about to dial Aria, the phone starts ringing.

"Finally!" I say before sighing.

"I'm so sorry, Paige. Aria needed some help and I went to her place. I lost track of time and I didn't see your missed calls. I'm really sorry." I can't be mad at her. When I hear her voice it just calms me down.

"Where are you?"

"I'm getting to your place. And you?"

"I'm at your place," I add smiling. "I'll meet you there. See you soon."

I walk quickly, I want to get there as soon as possible because I'm already late and I need to tell her before dinner. Luckily, Rosewood is not a big town, so getting there only takes a minute. She's waving at me.

"What were you doing at my place?" she says grinning at me.

"I told you I needed to talk to you, and you didn't pick up your phone, so I planted myself in front of your door," I add smiling at her.

"You told me it wasn't that important," she says frowning.

"I lied," I add while I look at the floor. I know she made a mistake, but I lied to her, so I deserved this. I should have told her it was really important. I was trying to protect her, but it was a huge mistake.

"What is going on?" she asks while she lifts my chin up. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. But I got to tell you something… It's complicated," I add with a serious look on my face.

"You know you can tell me anything," she adds as she holds my hands.

"I got accepted to… Watery," I say shyly.

"What? Are you kidding me?" she shouts loudly. "That's awesome, Paige," she adds jumping happily before giving me a huge hug.

"Are you happy?" I'm surprised, I didn't see this coming.

"Of course I'm happy, dummy," she adds with a wide smile on her beautiful face.

"I think you don't understand, Em," I say with a serious look. "I'd be leaving next week… For three months." Her face soon changes, she's not so excited about it anymore.

"Next week? Three months?" She's in shock. She's staring at me, but she doesn't open her mouth.

"Say something, Em. I want to know your opinion," I add as I put my hand on her cheek.

"I… I don't know what to say. It's your life," she adds sadly.

"Don't say that. It's OUR life now. I won't go if you're not okay with it." I hold her face with both of my hands. She's looking me in the eye, but I don't like that look.

"Honestly, it's a long time," she says with a sad look on her face.

"I know," I add nodding at her. "But…"

"Paige!" I hear my mom yelling. "Dinner is getting cold," she says interrupting our talk. The funny thing is that she didn't notice our conversation was important.

"Hi," Emily tells her nervously. She's still in shock, I can see it in her eyes.

"Hi, Emily. Are you hungry?" she adds grinning at her. "Come on in," she says opening the door.

"Mom, could you give us a moment, please?" I ask staring at her.

"You can talk later. Dinner is getting cold, Paige," she insists smiling at me. She obviously didn't get my telephatic message. There's no point in telling her again, I guess we'll have to wait to finish the conversation. I look at Emily, I clearly made her sad. I guess I won't see her beautiful smile tonight.

We go directly to the living room, my father is sitting already, he's reading the newspaper.

**Emily's POV**

"Hi, Emily," he says looking at me. He's being kind to me, I didn't see this coming.

"Good afternoon, Mr. McCullers," I add shyly. Paige's mom sits next to him, she's smiling. I suppose she saw my puzzled face and she thought it was funny. I don't blame her.

"Nick, please," he adds nicely.

Paige sits next to her mother and she points at the chair next to her. I sit next to my girlfriend. I didn't think I'd be feeling so nervous, my heart is racing. Besides, I feel like Paige is disappointed at me, and it doesn't help. I hadn't seen her look so serious in a long time, she didn't say a word since her mom interrupted us. We start eating, nobody says anything, it's getting too awkward.

"So, I've been wanting to meet you, Emily," her mom says. "I'm glad you're finally here," she adds looking at me and giving me a huge smile.

"Thank you," I answer shyly. "The food is delicious," I say politely. She nods at me with a grin on her face. It's obvious she likes me, but I knew that was easy, her mom is very open-minded.

"Did you think about the summer camp, Paige?" her dad asks immediately.

"I didn't, dad. And I don't want to talk about that," she says rudely.

"Did she tell you that she got into the best swimming camp in the country?" he asks looking at me. I know that he's proud of her, but I kinda think that he's trying to piss us off. He knows that it could break our relationship, and he's happy. Maybe I'm imagining things, because he was nice to me earlier, but maybe he was pretending. I don't like his tone, that's for sure.

"Yeah, she did. I'm so proud of her," I add faking a smile.

"You know I have to call them tomorrow. There's no time, you have to decide," he adds staring at her.

"Stop it, okay?" she yells at him. "Don't pressure me. I don't want to talk about that," she says frowning at him. I hate that she's angry, I'd like to see her smile. She's clearly under a lot of pressure, and I totally get it. I put my hand on her thigh, I want her to know that I support her decision. She suddenly looks at me and I nod at her with a slight smile on my face.

"She's angry because she knows I deserved that spot. I definitely am a better swimmer than her," I add grinning at her while I caress her thigh.

"You wish!" she says smiling at me. Her mom is laughing, her dad smiles too, but he's trying to hide his smile. He's a really weird person, but I suppose he is the kind of guy who doesn't know how to express his feelings. I suppose he'd have a more open nature once he gets to know me better.

We keep talking about our summer plans and swimming. Her dad is really passionate about swimming, he's like obsessed with it. When I bring up that topic of conversation, he suddenly starts speaking non-stop, he's not so shy anymore. We start talking about our favorites swimmers, and he tries to convince me that his choice is way better than mine. I tease him and he starts laughing, he says that I have no clue what I'm talking about. Both Paige and her mom are staring at us, they can't believe what they're seeing. We're having a civilized conversation and we're having fun. Her dad is not as bad as she thinks.

When we finish eating it's already late, so I say goodbye to her parents and Paige comes outside with me. She tell her parents that it's getting dark and she's going to drive me home. I really appreciate that, I'm lucky to have her.

**To be continued…**


	26. Chapter 26: Decisions

**Thank you so much, guys! I love your reviews, you make me really happy. :)**

**I'll try to update as soon as possible, but I feel I'll have a really busy week. :( Don't forget I am not a native English speaker, so I apologize in advance for my grammar mistakes. Last time I didn't have time to comment your reviews, so here I go:**

**glorymania: I know last chapter I was evil with that shower moment. Hahaha. I'm so sorry about that. xD That was karma, you should have been studying at that café, not reading this fanfic. LOL**

** : I know you don't like the separation, but it could be really interesting. I have some ideas in mind, that's why I want Paige to decide whether to go to the summer camp or not. I came up with the idea of the dinner at Paige's with the intention of showing Nick being nice to her daughter's girlfriend.**

**Guest number 1: Hahaha. You're angry at me because the whole summer camp idea. xD Don't worry about that, you know they're meant to be together. :)**

**Guest number 2: Finally someone wants Paige to go to the summer camp. Awesome! Thanks. :)**

**Bamary: Team Kate… LOL You're right, she didn't do anything wrong… yet. Hahaha.**

**del: Thanks! Em was so nice on the latest chapter. I mean, it's a really tough decision, but she finally understood that going to that summer camp it's important to Paige's future. **

**Paige's POV**

I grab my jacket and the car keys and I open the door to her. "Thanks," she says smiling at me. The car is park outside my place, Emily follows me and she gets into the co-driver seat. I know she's trying to be nice to me, she prefers if I stay in Rosewood, but she's willing to sacrifice because of me. That makes me love her even more. Besides, dinner went perfect thanks to her kindness and patience with my dad. That means a lot to me, especially after the conversation we had before and the disappointment that showed in her face when I told her about it.

We're inside the car, we keep looking at each other in total silence. I want to tell her how grateful I am, but words can't express the way I feel right now. I put my left hand on her cheek and I lean in to kiss her passionately.

"I love you," I add looking her in the eye.

"I love you too, Paige," she says flushing. "So…" she adds staring at me.

"You were great, Em. The way you talked to my dad… I mean, I couldn't believe I wasn't dreaming." I raise my eyebrows, she smiles at me shyly. "So, what do you think?" I add as I hold her soft hands.

"It's a great opportunity. You should go," she admits. She's looking down and she sweeps the floor of the car with her eyes. She's clearly averting my gaze, there's sadness in her eyes.

"Are you sure?" I raise her chin up and I look into her sad eyes. "I don't want to screw this up. I'll miss you."

"If you don't go because of me, I'd feel terrible. I don't want to be the kind of possessive girlfriend who gets mad because we're going to be apart for three months. You know I wish all the best to you, and this is huge," she says nodding at me. I hug her tightly, I can feel her heart is racing.

"Thank you, Em," I add before pressing my lips to hers. I sigh in relief, I'm not feeling so nervous anymore, she always gets to calm me down. I start the engine and I accelerate while I caress her muscular thigh with my right hand. She rests her head on my right shoulder, I can smell her sweet perfume, the one that drives me crazy. I'm driving, though, so I try to control my feelings once again.

"Just so you know, you're spending every minute of the day with me. I want this week to be perfect, so you'll do whatever I want. Is it clear? she asks grinning at me.

"I thought slavery was abolished in this country a long time ago," I tease her. She has a wide smile spread across her face.

"From now on I own you, McCullers," she says chuckling. In fact, I'm glad she said that, because I want to be with her so bad. I'll miss her smile, her scent, her laugh, her sweetness… "It's only three months, you can do it, Paige," I think to myself.

**Emily's POV**

Time passes so quickly that I'm surprised it's already Sunday. This is our last day together, and I want today to be special. Spencer called me yesterday to tell me that we could have lunch at her place. As usual, her parents are out of town and my friends want to say goodbye to Paige. At first I didn't like the idea, 'cause that means that I won't be able to be alone with her, but I also think that my friends deserve the chance to be with her. It's strange that they finally accepted her after their doubts about Paige being good for me. But I'm glad that they finally got to meet her. After all, Paige has spent a lot of time in the cafeteria with us having lunch, and they've become very fond of her. Besides, after having lunch with them I told Paige that we're going to spend time alone, so she didn't mind at all. Spencer wanted to prepare a fancy meal because of the importance of the event, but Hanna insisted on ordering some pizza. It's kinda funny how they can be so good friends, because they're so different.

When I get at Spencer's my friends are already there. Paige is the one missing, but I got early, so she'll be here soon.

"How are you holding up, Em?" Aria asks raising her eyebrows.

"Well… not so well," I add sadly. "But I'm proud of her, she deserves this more than anyone I know. I totally support her, she's chasing her dream." Spencer nods at me. She understands me more than anyone, because she experienced it with Toby. He was out of town for a long time and they're still dating despite the distance between them. Their relationship gives me hope, we can definitely make it work.

"You're right. It's not easy, but I can assure you that if the relationship is worth it, you'll make it work," she adds nicely. I'm lucky I have great friends, these three months will go by quicker if I have their support, and I know I have.

When the doorbell rings I break into a run while my friends are looking puzzled at me.

"Love…" Aria adds smiling at them.

"Hi," I say smiling at my girlfriend.

"Hi yourself," she adds approaching me with a wide grin on her face. I hold her face and I bite my lower lip before giving her an endless kiss. She puts her hands around my waist. I love when she does that.

"Excuse me, we're right here," Hanna adds grinning at us. "I don't want to interrupt your passionate moment, but I'm hungry."

"I'm sorry," Paige says shyly. She's flushing, she is clearly not used to Hanna's jokes yet.

"She was kidding, dummy," I add smiling at Paige. "She can be so naive sometimes," I add rolling my eyes while I hold her arm.

"How are you, Paige? Are you feeling nervous?" Hanna asks staring at her.

"Yeah, a little bit. You know, I'm not good at meeting people. And I'll miss her a lot, so…" she says shyly. I smile at her. I know she's not comfortable talking about her feelings in front of people, she's shier than people really think.

Once we all finish eating pizza, Hanna keeps eating leftovers till there's no pizza on the table. She's like a pizza monster, I can't believe she can be so thin. It's obvious she eats a lot. I suppose she has excellent genetics.

"Wow, that pizza was delicious. I'm full up," she says touching her stomach.

"Do you want some coffee?," Spencer asks looking at everybody sitting at the table.

"I'd kill for a cup of coffee," Aria ads smiling at her.

She starts clearing the table and Paige stands up instantly to help her.

"Do you need some help?" she asks politely. Spencer nods at her smiling lightly.

**Paige's POV**

"Thank you for everything, Spencer," I add when we walk in the kitchen.

"You're welcome," she says smiling at me nicely. After a few seconds in silence she looks directly into my eyes and she stars speaking. "You got to promise me that you won't do anything bad over there," she adds changing completely the subject and her face expression.

"What are you talking about?" I answer frowning.

"You'll be three months around a lot of girls and loneliness is a bitch." She's still staring at me, she's being serious about this.

"Are you implying that I may cheat on Emily?" I ask trying not raise my voice. I can't believe she's saying that when she knows I'm madly in love with her.

"I know that you love her, I really do. I can see it in your eyes that you love her more than anything in this world. But that doesn't mean you won't hurt her. I mean, you know they say that we normally hurt the ones we love most." She's right about that, but I'm pretty sure I wouldn't cheat on her, like ever.

"You're right about that, but I'm not like the rest of people. I know you think that Emily is weak and you need to protect her. I like the fact that you're an overprotective friend. I want the best for Emily too, and I know you'd do anything to protect her. But I want to make it very clear I'm not interested in other women." I look at her with a serious face, I want her to know that I'm being really serious.

"I'm sorry I made you feel uncomfortable, but I needed to know that we're on the same page. I like you, Paige, but you got to understand that she's my friend."

"I get it, Spencer. Don't worry about that, okay?" I say smiling at her. She smiles me back and we go back to the living room with a steaming coffeepot.

"Did you go to Colombia to buy coffee beans?" Emily asks grinning at us. "What were you doing?"

"That was a private conversation, Em," Spencer adds smiling at Emily. I'm not mad at Spencer, I know she can be paranoid about stupid things, but she means well.

When we leave Spencer's place we get into my car and I start driving without saying a word.

"Where are we going?"

"I know a bowling alley not so far from here," I add smirking at her.

"Are you serious? This is how you want to spend your last time in Rosewood with your girlfriend who you won't be seeing for three months?" she says smiling at me.

"Yeah, why not? We have plenty of time after dinner, you know," I add winking at her.

"I wasn't talking about that, pervert!" she yells at me.

"Are you sure?" I say laughing at her while I caress her inner thigh.

"Positive," she insists. I know she's lying, though.

"Aren't we having dinner at your place? And your mom is not home, right?" I smirk when I see she's flushing.

"Yes, but…" She says nervously. "Are you having fun?" I nod at her, smiling widely. "Do I need a written contract to have sex with my girlfriend?" she asks grinning at me.

"Where do I need to sign?" I ask breaking into a smile.

I park the car in the parking lot and I turn off the engine.

"Right here," she says pointing at her lips. I lean in to give her a soft kiss as she holds my chin.

"Okay, let's go." I close the car door and I put my arm around her waist.

After almost two hours playing bowls and laughing at her 'cause she sucks at it, we get to her place. Her mom is not at home, she's having dinner with her friends, so we'll be alone. When we finish eating Chinese takeout, she goes to her bedroom and tells me to wait in the living room.

"I've got two surprises for you," she adds happily. "This is the first one." She hands me a gift wrapped in a very ornate paper. I didn't expect this, she bought me something and I didn't even think about that. I'm a lousy girlfriend.

"You didn't have to, Em," I say raising my eyebrows. "I didn't buy you anything. I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry. Your company is the best gift I could have, Paigey." I can't help but hug her when I see her saddened eyes.

"Thank you," I whisper her in the ear before opening the present. It's a plain silver bracelet. She knows I don't like wearing fanciful items, but I really like it, it's very simple and nice.

"I love it," I say while I try to put it on and fail. She gets closer to help me with her soft hands. She's standing in front of me, concentrated on her task. Meanwhile I'm sitting and staring at her, her body still gets me hypnotized.

"Thank you," I add before kissing her eagerly. She kisses me back, lightly biting my lower lip before playing around with my tongue. I put my hands under her shirt and keep caressing her back until my hands go lower and I kiss her soft neck. I feel her hands go over my abs under my shirt and my heart starts to race, my skin is burning under her touch.

"Let's go to my bedroom," she whispers with her husky voice as she pulls closer to me. Her breath hits my face, her eyes are flickering between my eyes and my lips, she knows her touch drives me crazy. She holds my hand and we walk upstairs. My heart is about to explode, I want to feel her skin so badly. She opens the door, she gets closer to me with a wide smile on my face and she starts taking off my shirt slowly. I kiss her deeply, forcing my tongue into her mouth eagerly while she touches my abs and starts unzipping my denim jeans. She suddenly pushes me onto the bed gently, she's practically out of breath.

"Wait here. It's time for your second gift," she adds with her sexy voice. She leaves with a smile on her face, she heads to the bathroom.

"Don't do this to me!" I yell at her while l lay in bed.

A few minutes later she shows up wearing a costume of Barbarella. I give her a puzzled look, I didn't see this coming. She gives me a sexy smile, I smile back at her while I gesture for her to come closer. She knows I'm a huge fan of that movie, especially Jane Fonda's character. She wore it last Halloween and l guess she realized that I couldn't stop looking at her.

"Wow! Come here, my superhero," I say as I grab her arm and she gets on top of me. "You're so hot," I whisper in her ear before kissing her eagerly.

"Hold this image in your mind. I want you to think about this when a sexy swimmer in that summer camp tries to flirt with you," she adds almost breathless while she kisses my neck.

"Can I take a picture so I can remember this moment?" I tease her while I run my fingers through her shiny hair. She smiles widely at me, she's breathing heavily. She suddenly goes down, leaving a trail of kisses along the outline of my abs and causing a moan escape my lips from the feel of her lips on my body. She touches my abs while she kisses me again on my lips as I play with her tongue. I get on top of her with a quick movement and start taking off her costume as I kiss the most sensitive parts of her neck, and a moan escapes her lips.

"This is my gift to you," I add smiling at her while she keeps moaning softly with every kiss and touch I give her.

**To be continued…**

**Please, let me know your thoughts. Now you know Paige is leaving for three months. I've got a lot of ideas in my mind, but they involve a little bit of drama. xD I know you want more Paily happy moments, and I assure you there will be more of those. Anyway, I don't want you to hate me, so l want to know your opinion about upcoming chapters. :D**

**Thanks!**


	27. Chapter 27: Welcome, McCullers

**Thank you so much, guys! I love your reviews, you make me really happy. :)**

**I'll try to update as soon as possible, thanks for your patience. Don't forget I am not a native English speaker, so I apologize in advance for my grammar mistakes.**

**Catlover108808: I didn't say anything about cheating. xD I just said there'll be more drama involved, it's not gonna be as easy as they thought. :)**

**del: Thank you! I really enjoyed writing the conversation between Paige and Spencer. They both seem the kind of person who is protective of their loved ones. M section? Hahaha. I admit I'm a teaser, I can't change the way I am, right? xD Let's see if we get there. :D I'm glad you liked the part with the Barbarella costume. :)**

**glorymania: I love writing drama, and at this point of the story, I think a little bit of drama will be quite interesting. You know at the end they're meant to be together, so…**

**Cony: ¡Gracias! Me alegro de que te guste tanto mi historia y que estés dispuesta a perder horas de sueño. ¡Pero descansa, por favor! LOL Lo de los tres meses te aseguro que serán un par de capítulos, no más. Es decir, avanzaré en el tiempo, porque si no sería muy aburrido. Te aseguro que Emily la visitará. :)**

**Jamscottroc54: Thank you so much! You made my day. :D I honestly don't think this is one of the best fanfics, no way. xD But I really appreciate your kindness. So cute! :D Wow! 26 chapters in a row. Reading so much must be unhealthy. xD Drama is coming… :)**

**Paige's POV**

I open my eyes when the alarm clock starts ringing loudly. I'm exhausted, I was with Emily till very late and when I got into bed I couldn't sleep because of the feelings of nervousness. I don't like changes in my life, I'm the kind of person that feels comfortable in my element. I mean, my family, Emily, my teammates... But everything is going to change the minute I get into the bus. This is the day that my life gets turned 360 degrees, at least for three months. I just hope I can make friends over there, even if that's a challenge because of my shyness. I'm going to try hard, though. It's a great opportunity to meet people from different parts of the country. Besides, they're all into swimming, so it will be easier to get along with them. I jump out of bed to hit the shower, I'm pretty sure it will make me feel better. When I go downstairs my parents are having breakfast, they both smile at me and I join them. I don't say a word, I just smile at them. My mom knows that I'm so nervous that I don't even want to talk. Once we finish having breakfast, my dad gets the suitcase and goes outside.

"I'm fine, mom," I say when I see she's staring at me.

"Are you sure?" she adds nicely.

"Yes, mom." I smile at her, she's worried about me, I can see it in her eyes. "You trust me, right?" I say staring at her. I know I've made a lot of mistakes in my life, but I've changed a lot, I'm a different person now.

"Of course I trust you, honey." She hugs me tightly, I can see tears in her eyes.

"I'm not going to war, mom," I add smirking while I wipe away her tears.

"Well… I'm not so sure about that," she teases. "Your dad said that coaches from that swimming camp are known for being obsessed with the training routine. You'll have barely no free time available for yourself, you'll be exercising all day. I mean, you know that," she says frowning.

"Yeah, I know it's going to be tough. That's the point, right? If I want to get better and faster at swimming laps, I need to make sacrifices." When I hear myself saying the word "sacrifices" I can only think about Emily.

"That's my girl!" she adds euphorically as he gets closer to hug me again. "It's time to leave, Paigey. Your dad is waiting, let's go. I don't want you to miss the bus." She puts her arm around my shoulder and we leave. I can't help but giving a quick look at my beautiful home. I know it's only three months, but I know I'll miss living in a huge house with my own bathroom and bedroom. I'll have to share a room with a stranger, that means less privacy.

When we finally get to the bus station, my dad helps me with my huge suitcase, it weights a ton. I tried to get only the necessary items, but that's an impossible mission. My dad leaves the suitcase on the floor and he stares at me with his arms wide open. I get closer to him and he gives me an intense hug.

"Prove that you're the best. You deserve this, Paige. I truly believe in you," he says in my ear. I can feel he's touched. He's never been open up about feelings, so I know this means a lot to him. I'm so grateful he's proud of me.

"Thank you, dad," I say smiling at him. "I'll try my best." He nods at me, giving me a shy smile.

"I just want to hug you and kiss you, honey," my mom adds grinning at me. "Call me everyday. If you don't, I'm going to call you till you answer. I'm going to be annoying. I'm warning you," she says laughing. She approaches me and she hugs me tightly. I can feel her heart is racing, she's clearly nervous. I know she trusts me, but I understand that she's worried, I haven't been estranged from my family for such a long period of time. She'll have to get used to it, though. I mean, next year I may go to the university, I won't be living in Rosewood, that's for sure.

She gives me a thousand kisses on the cheek, she's definitely going to miss me. When I finally get my mom to stop kissing me, she hugs me again.

"Look who's here," she whispers in my ear. I turn around and I see her waving at me happily.

"Wait a moment, okay?" I tell both of them. I approach her with a wide grin on my face.

"It's 7 A.M., you should be sleeping," I say gazing at my watch. "You didn't need to, Em." She smiles at me and she looks at my parents out of the corner of her eye.

"I wanted to be here to say goodbye to my girlfriend. Didn't you like the surprise?" she asks giggling.

"Are you kidding me? You made my day." I hold her hands, and she flushes instantly. I can see she's looking at my parents. "Don't think about them, you can act normal," I add staring at her.

"You don't know how much I'd like to kiss you right now." She smirks and she bites her lip. She has that look, the one that makes my heart race.

"Okay, maybe that would be too much. I don't want my dad to have a heart attack," I tease her.

"A hug maybe? Or a hand shake!" she adds laughing loudly. I get closer to give her a hug. It always feels great, but this time is even more intense. I feel butterflies in my stomach, but at the same time I feel so safe in her arms.

"Then I guess your dad wouldn't be happy if he knew what we did in my bed, right?" she whispers in my ear as she keeps hugging me.

"What's wrong about a superheroine helping me to let off steam?" She laughs while we keep hugging. "By the way, you smell really good."

"Showering is the key," she jokes.

"I could stay all day hugging you, but I'll miss the bus, Em," I add staring at her. She nods at me, although she's not so happy. "I want a kiss," I add pointing at my left cheek. She cracks a smile and she kisses me on my cheek. "It's my turn." I approach her and I kiss her on her lips, I don't care if my dad doesn't like it. I'm not going to see her in three months, she deserves a proper kiss.

"You're a bad girl," Emily jokes as she keeps smiling at me. "Call me, okay?" she insists as I walk away. I nod at her.

"I love you," I say staring at her, but I can't hear her voice anymore. I suppose she said that she loved me too. I approach my parents, I get the suitcase, I hug them again and I get into the bus. I'm the last passenger to get into the bus, they're all smiling at me. I just realized that they must have seen my "intimate moment" with Emily. I take a window seat and I leave my purse on the seat next to me. I wave at my parents and my girlfriend when the bus driver starts the engine. I keep waving at them until I don't see them anymore. I take a book out of my purse and I bury myself in it. After a couple of minutes I hear my phone is beeping. I look at the screen and I check the text that I just got. I can't help but smile when I read it.

"**I miss you already. XOXOXO"**

When I get to the entrance of my home for the next three months, I look around and I don't see a lot of people. The building is huge, but I expected more people around the place. We were supposed to be here at 12 am and I don't think people will be unpunctual. I mean, being accepted here is a privilege, and they're known for their strict rules, so being late would be the worst possible way to start the day. I also know that I'm exceptionally lucky to be here, because the best swimmers in the country are the chosen ones. I wonder if the people that I'm seeing are the only ones that got accepted. If I'm right, there are about 30 girls waiting next to me with their giant suitcases on their hand. Everybody is looking at each other, but nobody says anything. It's possible they're all nervous and shy. If my mom was here she would have said anything, she doesn't stand silence. I can't stand their nervous looks, so I stare at the floor. Their looks make me feel so awkward. Luckily, a tall woman opens the front door and tells us to come in. We get inside and she gives us a huge pile of documents. Then she starts calling our names, one by one. I don't know why but she's calling everybody's name except mine, so I start reading the first page of the pile. It's about the rules we have to respect, stuff like not being late, being inside our room by 8 pm, not smoking… It's a really long list, I'll read it later. In the second page there's a timetable with our daily duties. We got to get up at 6 am, jogging at 6:15, breakfast at 7, two hours of swimming, 4 hours of theory lessons, lunch at 1 pm, swimming at the natatorium from 2 pm to 6 pm, shower time, dinner at 7 pm and we must be inside our rooms by 8 pm.

"What about free time? Did I enroll the Army?" I think to myself.

This is going to be harder than I thought, I'll barely have time for myself. If they want us to be productive we need a break from swimming. I mean, I'm not asking a lot of free time, but I want to call my family and Emily, watch TV, read, surf on the internet. I need some time to disconnect, I'm not a robot. I look around and there's only one girl left next to me. When I hear my name I approach the woman that's behind the desk and she hands me a card key.

"Welcome, McCullers. Room 10, here's the key. Leave your luggage at your room. We'll meet here in thirty minutes, don't be late," she adds staring at me with a serious facial expression.

"Thanks," I add nicely. I don't know what is wrong with her, I'd appreciate if she smiled a little bit, she should be a people person. She seems embittered, although that's not my problem. I'm not the most sociable person in the world, but politeness is a great virtue that everybody should develop in order to be a decent person.

I open the door of my room and a girl is sitting on the bed that's next to the window. I thought that we wouldn't have to share rooms. I mean, this building is enormous, there should be plenty of space for individual rooms. Anyway, I leave my suitcase next to the other bed and I approach her, extending my right hand.

"Hi, I'm Paige. Nice to meet you," I say nicely. She seems indifferent, she looks at me reticently.

"Alice," she says rudely. She doesn't shake my hand, she looks at me defiantly and she leaves the room. I'm perplexed, I don't know what the hell is wrong with her, but I'm not putting up with her bullshit.

There's a small closet next to my bed, or rather, the bed that Alice didn't choose. I quickly unpack my suitcase and I dial my mom. I don't tell her anything about my roommate and the hectic timetable, I don't want to worry her. I just tell her how huge and beautiful this is, I don't want to be negative. After hanging up I look at my watch, I have another ten minutes left, so I call Emily.

"Hi, honey!" she says euphorically. "How are you?"

"Hi, I'm fine. I just got here. I wanted to hear your voice, but I only got ten minutes left. We're meeting downstairs and I got to be punctual."

"So, tell me," she says briefly. I guess she wants to know my opinion about this place.

"I don't mean to be an alarmist, but this is like hell." She laughs.

"You're kidding, right? You just got there."

"I know, but people in here is really weird, and my roommate is beyond stupid."

"Patience, Paigey. You're adorable, they're all gonna like you," she adds nicely.

"We wake up at 6 pm and we have swimming classes till 7 pm. We got a curfew, we're not allowed to be outside our room after 8 pm. This is fucking Guantanamo!" She laughs again. "It's not funny, you know."

"I'm sorry, Paigey. I couldn't help but laughing, that joke was funny," she apologizes. "Anyway, I'm sure it won't be as bad as you think. You'll change your mind, just give it time, honey," she says sweetly.

"I hope so. Thanks, Em. I'm sorry but I got to leave, or FBI is going to burst into my room," I joke. She laughs loudly, I'm going to miss her beautiful laugh so much. "Have a nice day, baby."

"You too, Paigey. We'll talk tomorrow. Bye."

**To be continued…**


	28. Chapter 28: It's all in your head

**Thank you so much, guys! I love your reviews, you make my day. :) This chapter is not very interesting, but I promise the next ones will be amazing. xD I wanted a to concentrate on Paige and the swim camp, but time will go by faster in upcoming chapters to keep the story more intriguing.**

**I'll try to update as soon as possible, but I'm busy, so be patient, please. ;) Don't forget I am not a native English speaker, so I apologize in advance for my grammar mistakes.**

**Jamscottroc54: Thank you again! I knew you'd like that kiss. :D You'll know more about the roommate in this chapter.**

**Del: Thanks! Emily being supportive is awesome, even if she doesn't like the fact that her girlfriend will be away for three months. They're so sweet together, right? :) **

**glorymania: Hahaha. In the next chapter there'll be a lot of jumps forward in time. Don't worry about that. ;)**

**Paige's POV**

After talking with Emily I join the others at the hall. I get five minutes earlier, and I sit down on a chair next to a blonde girl. Three coaches are already standing in front of us, they're looking at their notes in silence. There's nothing but a deathly silence in the room, so I decide not to talk to the girl sitting next to me. The other girls keep entering the room and taking a seat. I see one of the coaches walking toward the door and closing the door, I guess that means the ones that didn't get on time are not allowed inside.

"Good afternoon to everybody. Welcome, girls. I'm Coach White," he says with a serious face expression. He's a tall man, athletic body, in his thirties. He's quite attractive, but he doesn't seem nice at all. Maybe he's just trying to frighten us so we treat him with respect. That is teachers and coaches rule number one. If the first day of school a teacher introduces himself/herself with a wide smile on his/her face and being extremely nice, it's almost sure that teacher is screwed up for the rest of her days at that school.

"Coach Ferguson," the woman next to him says shyly. "That's the nice one," I think to myself. I know we're probably going to have classes with the three of them, but if I could choose one of them, I'd probably like to have her as my coach. I mean, if she's working here she must be good, and she seems kind.

"Coach Cooper," the third woman adds rudely. She's frowning at us, she seems pissed off. Her bitchy face makes me wonder what the hell is wrong in her life, she couldn't be more bitter.

Coach White is probably the senior coach, because when the other two women introduce themselves, he's the one who starts speaking about the camp's rules. He basically repeats the rules that they gave us just a few minutes ago. But he insists it's really important to be on time to every class, and he emphasizes that being late has a consequence we won't like: swimming more laps after classes and a plus/minus point system in theoretical exams depending on the seriousness of the unpunctuality. _When the fuck are we going to do that if we don't even have time to eat and sleep? This is crazy!_

He also says that improving swimming times are really important. I knew that, that's the point of coming here. But when he says that the ones who are the slowest swimmers will have classes on Sundays too, my face expression suddenly changes. This training routine could be considered a torture, but if we don't have Sundays off, it's almost impossible to rest properly and be physically prepared for swimming. I'm not going to think about that, I prefer to think that I swim faster than most of the girls here. Anyway, I thought Sundays we could do anything we wanted, but Coach White emphasizes that from 2 pm to 6 pm we're free to go anywhere we want on condition that we will be in this building by that time, not even one minute late. _Holy shit! I could become a nun and I'd have a better social life._

After that he remarks that we have one hour to have lunch, then we are getting a medical and physical examination by a doctor, and to finish the day, we are swimming some laps. He states that he wants to know our swimming times to begin with, although I'm one hundred percent sure that he already knows our times. I mean, they've got to know, or we wouldn't be here.

He finishes his talk saying that we should read the documents they handed us to know every rule we must respect. If he really thinks that I'm going to miss sleeping time or minutes talking with my parents or Emily to read that pile of documents, he's wrong.

I stand up and I head toward the cafeteria. I take a seat at a table by the window, from there I can see the surrounding area. It's actually a nice place, the main building is surrounded by trees and flowers, it's really calm. The closest town is about a ten-minute walk from here. I was told the town was small, I guess it'll be the size of Rosewood. I stand up and go grab a tray, there's a lot of choice, but I decide to eat macaroni. I'm starving and carbs will do me good to swim. I sit on the chair and start eating. I don't even look around, I'm totally concentrated on eating, so I don't see a girl approaching my table.

"Is this seat taken?" I hear a shy voice saying. I look up and I see Alice, my 'nice' roommate. She ignored me just a few minutes ago and she wants to have lunch with me now. I mean, what is wrong with her?

"Nop," I add trying not to be rude, although she deserves it. I continue eating, I won't say a word until she gives a reasonable explanation of what happened earlier.

"You're hungry," she adds smiling slightly. "I'm sorry about before," she finally admits.

"Are you bipolar?" I ask frowning.

"I was angry, personal stuff… I'm really sorry, I can be rude sometimes." I nod at her.

"I thought it was something personal, even though I don't know you at all. I just want to get along with you, we are going to be roommates. I'm not asking for a friendship, I'd appreciate if you made an effort to be a little bit nicer," I add smiling at her.

"No, it wasn't personal, I just… Well, let's say I'm angry because I don't want to be here. You happened to be there, that's all. I'm sorry, again. So, fresh start?" she asks raising her eyebrows.

"Sure. I'm a good listener, in case you want to talk about you not wanting to be here."

"Well… I like music more than swimming. I play the guitar, I want to be a musician, I don't care about swimming so much. But my dad is insistent that I should keep swimming, he keeps thinking I don't have a future in music. It's frustrating, we're constantly arguing because of it. So, let's say I'm here because of my dad," she adds with a serious face expression. I laugh when I hear her particular situation. "Actually, it's not funny," she says frowning.

"I'm sorry. It's just… My dad is like yours. Although, this time I really wanted to be here, he didn't insist so much," I add nicely.

"So, we have something in common, our dads are jerks." She laughs loudly. I laugh too, but I'm lucky my dad finally changed his attitude. Alice seems a completely different person than before. I'm even starting to like her. "Anyway, we should get going. I don't want to be late, or we'll spend every minute of the day swimming," she jokes.

Once we finish having lunch and go to the doctor, it's time for swimming. We're at the huge natatorium, we're waiting for our turn to get into the pool. I can see in their eyes they're afraid because they don't know everybody's times, and that means they can do worse and that equals less free time. Coach White has a stopwatch in his hands, and he's calling our names. The first girls that hit the pool are really fast, I don't know if I can beat them. I'm getting nervous, maybe I'm the worst swimmer and I'll have to spend almost all day in here so my time gets better. I don't want that to happen. Anyway, nervousness is not going to help, so I start thinking of all nice things in my life, I got to concentrate on Emily and my family so I don't worry about what's coming next.

"McCullers! I said McCullers!" I hear an angry voice yelling. Suddenly I feel someone touching me. Alice is pointing at the pool, I didn't even hear Coach White calling my name. I guess my plan worked, but I got to keep concentrating on everything that makes me happy. I need to swim faster than ever, my self-esteem needs this. "Are you deaf?" he yells at me when I approach him and prepare to jump into the pool.

"No, sir," I answer politely. I don't want to have problems with him from the first day. I close my eyes, I take a deep breath and I concentrate on the water. I remember my dad's words that last meet I broke my record: 'It's all in your head, you can do it.'

When I hear the whistle blow, I jump and I feel the cold water touching my body. I move my legs and arms as fast as I can, chlorine smell makes me feel alive. I'm so concentrated on my quick movements that I don't even realize when I touch the pool wall. I get out of the pool and I hear someone clapping loudly. I turn around and I see Alice jumping and cheering me. This girl is even weirder than I thought, I don't understand what is happening right now. I remove my swimming goggles and I look at Coach White. He's looking at his stopwatch with his eyes wide open.

"Well done, you did the best time by far. Congratulations," he says smiling slightly when I walk past him.

"Thank you, sir," I add trying to hide the smile that creeps onto my face. I approach Alice, she's still smiling at me. She seems happier than me, her attitude is really confusing.

"You made it," she says enthusiastically. "That was incredible," she adds happily.

"What about you? You made the second best time. I thought you didn't like swimming, young lady," I joke.

"You misunderstood me, McCullers. I said that I liked swimming, but it's not my passion. I just wanted to be faster than most of the other girls so I don't spend more time in here. I can be listening to music and playing the guitar instead." When she talks about music I can see the glow in her eyes, her love of music is visible. She's clearly passionate about that, I don't know what the hell she's doing in here when she could be at a music camp. Pressuring someone to do something they don't want to is a waste of time. Even if her dad is obsessed with this, Alice will quit eventually. It's a matter of time.

"They hate us," she adds looking at the other girls. I turn around. She's right about that. Honestly, we kicked their ass. They'll have to get a lot better if they want to beat us.

"You two can go. Go rest, see you tomorrow," he says pointing at the locker room door.

When we walk right by the other girls, they're staring defiantly at us. I don't get it, we didn't do anything wrong.

"Bitches," one of them murmurs. I turn around, but I don't say anything. I'm not going to fall for it, I prefer to ignore tasteless remarks, I'm not a child anymore. She's jealous, but I faced Alison, I'm tougher than she thinks.

I have a quick shower and I go directly to my room. I turn on my computer and I check my email. Nothing. I check my phone, Emily called twice. She texted me too.

"Where are you? Call me back, please."

I dial her number, but she doesn't pick up. I call her again, but she's still not answering. I keep the phone on my pocket, I close my eyes and I lay in bed until Alice shows up. By the time she gets here, it's already dinner time. Once we finish, we go back to our room, I'm willing to check my phone.

"Did you see my phone?" I ask frowning.

"You had it in your pocket, right?" Alice answers.

"Yeah, but it's not here."

"You probably left it on the table when we were eating. You can't leave the room, though. You'll have to wait until tomorrow." I nod at her, she's right. But I want to call Emily. _Shit! _This is like being in prison.

I turn on my computer and I email her. I don't want her to think I'm ignoring her. I got to find my phone asap.

**To be continued…**


	29. Chapter 29: Don't ignore me

**Thank you so much, guys! I'm so sorry I didn't have time to update this story sooner, but a lot of things are happening in my life and I barely have time for this. This chapter is short too, but I wanted to publish it so you don't have wait more.**

**I hope it is worth the wait, 'cause I really loved writing this chapter. :)**

**I'll try to update as soon as possible, but be patient, please. ;) Don't forget I am not a native English speaker, so I apologize in advance for my grammar mistakes.**

**Jamscottroc54: Thank you! Hahaha. Alice is not bipolar, but she's a weird person. xD It's funny that you think Alice is behind the phone issue. LOL This chapter clarifies that, don't worry about it. :)**

**del: Thanks! Coach White is a jerk. :D This chapter is all about Emily, but next chapter you'll know more about Paige and her "mates". Yeah, Paige is our heroine, she rocks! :) **

**Glorymania: your wish are my command, time jumps are happening! :D I hope you like this chapter. :)**

**Emily's POV**

I know she must be busy, because she didn't answer the phone before. She called me back, but I was at the pool, so I couldn't talk to her. I spoke with her this morning, but I wanted to hear her voice again. Maybe I shouldn't have texted her, but I couldn't help it, even if it's not actually urgent. She told me that she might have more free time after dinner, so I call her again, although it seems kind of desperate. I've known I was in love with her for a long time, but now that she's not in Rosewood, I feel like my feelings for her are stronger than I thought. I dial her number and she picks up really quick.

"Paige!" I add euphorically.

"She's not here," an unknown voice replies.

"Who are you?"

"I'm a friend of hers."

"Are you her roommate? I just need to talk to her."

"No, I'm not. She's in her room, she left her phone at the cafeteria and I took it," she says. I'm pretty sure she is laughing. I don't know who she is, but I don't like her.

"Give her the phone," I add rudely. This conversation doesn't make any sense, I just want to speak with my girlfriend.

"Wow! Slow down, girl! Are you her girlfriend?"

"Yeah, I am," I add angrily. When I hear those words coming out of my mouth I immediately regret my answer.

"It's good to know that she plays for the other team," she says ironically. I think I screwed up… Again.

"Just give her the phone back. And leave her alone, okay?" I add angrily before I hang up.

The next morning, I go to swim some laps after having breakfast with my mom. I am trying to improve my times, so I go to the natatorium every day. I'm not the only person that is trying to improve her swimming, though. My teammates Kate and Tina are practicing hard too. I'm glad they're being so passionate, because our team needs good swimmers so we got a chance of getting a significant scholarship next year. Actually, this is a team sport, and we need the best swimmers if we want scouts to notice us. After swimming for two hours and having a quick shower, I ride my bike until I get home. When I open the door I hear my phone ringing. I suddenly grab it and look at the screen. A huge smile appears on my face when I see her name.

"Hi, gorgeous!" I add happily.

"Is something wrong, Em? I lost my phone and I couldn't call you."

"No, everything is fine. I just wanted to speak with you, Paige."

"You know I barely have time to do anything apart from swimming. I'll call you later, okay?"

"Wait a minute. I need to tell you something."

"What is it?"

"I called you yesterday and another girl answered your phone. I might have said I was your girlfriend," I say shyly.

"Why did you say that?" she asks angrily.

"I just…" I hesitate. "I don't know, Paige. But it doesn't matter, right? Why do you care if they know the fact that you like girls? I mean, you're not like that anymore." I know I shouldn't have said that to that girl, but it's not the end of the world.

"You don't get it. It's just… It's complicated. You should have kept your mouth shut," she says rudely. I can't see her face, but she's clearly pissed off.

"Calm down, okay? What is wrong with you?"

"I don't want to talk about this, okay? I got to go. I'll call you when I have time, I'm busy now." I'm speechless, it's the first time she is so rude to me.

"Whatever," I add. I don't understand why she's being so mean to me. If she's mad at me because of that, she's overreacting. I hang up and a tear runs down my face. If she was in Rosewood I'd immediately go to her place and try to make it right, but I can't do that. I feel powerless, it sucks.

Two weeks after that conversation Paige doesn't call even once. I don't call her either, I'm pissed off and I'm very stubborn. I don't know what is going on with her, but I'm not the one to blame. I'm sick of her lousy attitude. I'm lucky I can lean on my friends, and I also made a new friend. I'm talking about Kate, the girl I thought that was trying to flirt with my girlfriend. Life can surprise you. I see her almost every day at the pool and this last week she's been nice to me. After swimming we started to go grab a coffee together and I understand why Paige said that she was a cool girl. I've been talking to her about Paige and her indifference. Kate must be sick of it, 'cause it's the only thing we talk about. Actually, maybe I'm being a little self-centered, but she doesn't complain about it. She makes me feel better, she's very understanding and she's a good listener too.

I feel exhausted, but I call Aria, I need to talk to somebody, and I don't want Kate to feel like I'm using her. When I get to the cafeteria, she's already sitting at the table next to the window.

"Hi, Em," she greets me when I sit down in front of her.

"Hi."

"Okay, shoot. What is going on?" I guess she saw my face, and she obviously noticed the bags under my eyes, 'cause I've been having trouble sleeping at night.

"Is it that obvious?" I ask smiling lightly. She nods at me.

"When you walked in, I thought you were a zombie from The Walking Dead," she jokes.

"Very funny," I add laughing.

"So… What is going on with Paige?"

"How do you know this is about Paige?" I ask frowning as I take a sip of my coffee.

"Come on, Em! I know you. You miss her, I get that, but what is going on?" she asks raising her eyebrows.

"She's acting weird. She got angry because I told another girl from that camp that I was her girlfriend. She doesn't call me and when I do she tells me that she's busy. She said that she'd call me two weeks ago, I'm still waiting," I add angrily.

"Then call her. I mean, if she doesn't call you and you want to speak with her, just call her. It's that simple. You're as stubborn as a mule, do you know that?" she jokes.

"Well… I'm mad at her, Aria. But I guess you're right. I'll call her as soon as I get home, this has got to stop." She nods at me. She's really good at giving advice, I love that about her.

We continue speaking about our upcoming trip to Boston. Spencer is already planning everything, she's a control freak and I'm happy about that, because I don't have time to think about that trip when Paige is the only thing I can concentrate on.

After saying goodbye to Aria, I get into my car and I drive home. Once I get to my bedroom, I sit on my bed and I grab my phone. I'm determined to call her, this nonsense has got to stop. I'm still mad at her, but I decide to be nice, it's the only way we sort this out.

"Hi," I say nicely.

"Hi."

"Are you okay?"

"Yes, I am." She's lying, I know her well enough to know that she's not okay. Her sadness gives her away.

"Then, why don't you call me? I've been waiting for your call for two weeks." I can't hide my disappointment, I want a convincing explanation.

"I'm busy, Em," she lies again.

"Bullshit! What the hell is happening? I'm sick of your lies. Just tell me so I can help. I'm your girlfriend, I'm here for you," I add raising my voice. I can't help but yell at her, I'm tired of this situation.

"Don't yell at me," she says in a voice choked with emotion.

"Are you crying?" I'm pretty sure I heard her sobs.

"I'm not. I just need to rest, I'm exhausted. I'll call you tomorrow."

"No, don't you dare to hang up on me agai…" I start saying, but she already pushed the red button. Damn it! She's got to stop doing that, I'm starting to get really pissed off. I call her again, but she doesn't pick up. I try once more, but she's clearly ignoring me. It's time for plan B, I am going to visit her, I need to talk to her face to face about it.

After five hours of driving, my GPS tells me this is the place where she is. I park the car and I head for the entrance door. It's Sunday afternoon, so they don't have any classes, she has no excuses. She told me she was staying at the second floor, but I don't know the number of her room. When I'm walking down the corridor, I see a girl is approaching me. I'd say she and I are the same age, so she must be a swimmer.

"Excuse me, do you know which is Paige McCullers's room?" I ask politely.

"Are you her lady friend?" she jokes. She's obviously teasing me. I know who she is, I recognize her voice, she's the bitch that stole her phone.

"Get out of my way!" I yell at her while I push her. I'm not a violent person, but she totally deserves it. Besides, she keeps grinning at me, she's enjoying her moment of glory. She wanted me to do something like that, she is a trouble maker, she enjoys provoking others.

"Are you Emily?" A brunette girl who's standing in front of us asks. She just left her room and she's staring at me.

"Yeah, I am. Do you know…" I start saying when she interrupts me.

"Paige is my roommate, she's here," she says pointing at the door she was closing.

I approach her. "Thanks. You must be Alice. Nice to meet you," I say smiling at her.

"Likewise, Emily," she adds politely. "I got to go, see you later." She waves at me and she walks away.

"You're a bitch," she tells the other girl when she walks past her.

I knock on the door and I open it before she says it's okay to come in. She's staring at me with a surprised face, she didn't see this coming. I've been pissed off these last two weeks, but when I see her my anger immediately disappears. She's standing in front of me, but she doesn't say a word, she's in shock. I suddenly notice that she's lost a lot of weight. It's surprising that she lost so much weight in so little time. I approach her slowly, she's still not moving at all. When I hug her tightly I hear her taking a deep breath. I look her in the eyes when we separate and I kiss her passionately until we're both breathless. I look her in the eye while smiling slightly, but she looks down, she looks worried about something.

"Tell me what is going on?" I ask caringly as I grab her by her chin and raise her head.

"I'm tired of everything. I'm exhausted, this is tougher than I thought. I am the problem, there's nothing wrong with you," she says sadly.

"Just say what I can do," I add while I hold her hands.

"Nothing. I don't want to hurt you, I love you, Em. But I need some space," she says lowering her voice.

"What are… What are you trying to say? Are you breaking up with me?" I ask staring at her. I can't believe that I came here on a surprise visit and she's dumping me. What is wrong with her?

"I just need time, I need to concentrate on my swimming. I don't have time for anything else." She's on the verge of tears, but she's trying to contain herself.

"You know what?" I ask with tears running down my face. "Go to hell!" I add before turning around and slamming the door.

When I get into my car I burst into tears. I can't believe what had just happened after fighting so much for this relationship. I came here to give her support and she broke up with me. Well, I guess now I won't have to worry about the other thing that has been going round and round in my head for days. Her "good friend" Kate kissed me out of nowhere.

**To be continued…**

**Review, please. ;)**


	30. Chapter 30: Mediators

**Thank you so much, guys! Your reviews make my day, you're adorable.**

**I know this chapter is short too, but I barely have time to write and I feel like you deserved an update because of that cliffhanger.**

**I understand that you're a little bit angry at me because of the break up, but I wanted to add more drama, otherwise the story would be boring as hell. You're all so passionate about this fanfic. That makes me happy, though, 'cause it means you're liking it. Remember that after these problems the reconciliation will be legendary. ;) Don't hate me, please. LOL**

**I'll try to update as soon as possible, but be patient, please. ;)**

**Don't forget I am not a native English speaker, so I apologize in advance for my grammar mistakes.**

**dayabieberxo: Yeah, they need to talk asap, and that will happen soon. :) I told you that Kate was not disappearing, I need her character to make the story more interesting.**

**glorymania: We'll talk about that kiss in upcoming chapters. xD I'm sorry the previous chapter made you sad. :( This one is not so depressing. Don't worry about their happiness, we all know they're meant to be together. I'm just an evil amateur writer who loves teasing you. :D**

**Guest #1: Hahaha. Love it!**

**Michelle: Thanks! I explain Paige's attitude in this chapter, she was acting like that for a reason. Kate kissing Emily was something I wanted to happen since she started befriending Paige and Em was jealous because of that. I don't know why, but I like surprising you guys. I may be crazy, yeah. xD**

**Jezzabelle-at-sea: Thank you very much! You don't have to wait anymore. :) I'm glad you like the story, although the kiss has bothered you all. xD**

**bamary: You were team Kate before, right? LOL **

**Paige's POV**

I'm not enjoying this swimming camp, that's for sure. At first I thought it would be exhausting and harder than I imagined, but the other girls made my life a living hell. It's like going back to high school when Alison was bullying me, but this time it's even worse, everybody teamed up to torture me. Well, luckily not everyone is giving me a hard time, Alice is the only one that supports me, but it's not enough. I knew this would be a really competitive environment, but I didn't expect they'd literally treat me like shit just because I'm the fastest swimmer. Everything started with the phone incident, but that was just a practical joke, it didn't hurt me at all. After that the mischievous jokes started to happen. They used to knock on our door every other minute when Alice and I were sleeping at night, so we couldn't even rest. They spitted in our food or they threw our plates down to the floor on purpose, knowing that we weren't allowed to serve more food so we don't gain weight. They tripped us up at the edge of the pool where the floor is really slippery, trying to hurt us. The homophobic insults were a common thing too, but that doesn't bother me at all, so they didn't get what they wanted. The situation has become unbearable. When we told coaches about the bullying, they just said that we were exaggerating. They insisted on the fact that competitiveness is good for us and that those jokes are just childish. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I thought they would do something to stop their attitude, but they're simply ignoring us, they're acting like it never happened. We continued giving our maximum in every practice, so they kept doing awful things to us. The first days I just yelled at them, but as days were going by I started to defend myself. I wasn't fortunate though, because they caught me. I should have been more intelligent and do something when Coach White wasn't around, but I didn't. When I pushed that girl who had been torturing me and making myself feel bad, she fell and started yelling like I just had shot her. Coach White turned around and saw everything. The next two weeks I spent almost every minute of day swimming, running and at the gym. I felt powerless and exhausted at the same time. Besides, the other girls kept laughing at me and making me go through sheer hell. All the accumulated anger, desperation and powerlessness explode when I get to my room. The second I walk in my room I can't stop crying. Alice tries to comfort me, but without success. I suppose it's not only the bullying that is getting me so desperate, I miss my family and Emily, and this yearning doesn't help me at all. Although I miss them a lot, I'm not in the mood to talk to them over the phone, I know I may burst into tears when I hear their voices. And to make things even worse, Emily kept calling and I was not capable of talking to her, I didn't want to worry her. My life has not been so upside down since Alison and her evil schemes to screw me up. I could go home and forget about this stupid camp, but I'm afraid my dad will be angry at me. I guess I should put up with this for another two months, I got to be strong.

When Emily showed unexpected I was happy to see her, but I don't know why the hell I broke up with her. It was like words were coming out of my mouth but I wasn't saying what I really felt at that moment. I'm stupid, I should have told her the truth instead. Now I'm sitting on my bed with tears running down my face, I feel empty. Alice walks in and she hugs me after looking at me with a disappointment face. Then she sits next to me and hands me a tissue.

"Don't tell me you…" She doesn't finish her sentence, she knows what happened, there's no need to explain. I nod at her as I wipe my tears from my swollen red eyes.

"I'm the biggest asshole on the planet, she's not going to forgive me. I lost her," I add sobbing inconsolably.

"You didn't lose her, you moron!" she yells at me. "I don't understand why you did that, though. Why, Paige?" she adds looking at me puzzled.

"I don't know. I just… I'm a fucking disaster and I blamed my problem at her." I frown, I'm angry at myself.

"Okay, calm down." She puts her hand on my shoulder and she grabs my phone. "Call her right now," she adds nodding at me.

"She won't pick up. I let her down, Alice. It's worthless."

"Just do it," she insists. I dial her number, but I guess she doesn't want to speak with me after everything that happened in this room. I can't believe she was kissing me just a few minutes ago and now I'm begging for her forgiveness. My relationship with the love of my life went down the toilet because of my stupidity.

"Nothing. I knew it," I say shaking my head.

"Keep trying until she picks up, okay? Don't give up," she says smiling at me nicely.

I follow her advice, I keep calling her non-stop. In fact, I call her several times every day, but her plan doesn't seem to work. I know she's ignoring me, but I want her to know that I regret everything I said to her, so I send an e-mail. It is more than proven that he won't pick up my calls, but I'm pretty sure she'll read my e-mail. She could delete it too, but it's actually more probable that she'll be curious, even if she's pissed at me. I wait for her reply, but sadly, I don't get her response. I won't give up, though. It's the only way I can solve this mess.

As for the swimming camp, I'm feeling better. I decided I had to be brave and confront those stupid girls, but I have to do that when coaches aren't around. Luckily my plan is working. They don't bully me like before. Although they keep insulting me, I suppose they're afraid of my revenge, so I'm not as emotionally unstable as I was a few weeks ago. At least that's good news, I'm yet the best swimmer of the camp and they're finally leaving me alone. I admit I fall to pieces easily when things are tough, but I overcome difficulties once I realize being depressed is not the answer to my problems. But this process takes time, I open up my eyes when it's too late, that's why I've been so dejected. The worst part is, I normally involve the ones I love, and I hate that about myself. When their only goal is to help me, I just hurt them. That's basically what happened with Emily, she is the sweetest person I've known and she wanted to protect me. Not only did I reject her help, but I also broke her heart.

After a few weeks calling and emailing her, she doesn't give me the opportunity to explain what is going on in my life since I left Rosewood. This is fucking excruciating, I don't know what to do. I suppose I'll have to wait two weeks to see her again at school, because I can't leave this damn jail until then. I think I'm happy for the first time since I got here, because I know I will see my beautiful "girlfriend" shortly. I can't help but smile when I think about it. Alice is sitting on her bed and she's looking at me with a confused face expression.

"What's up with you, weirdo? Thank goodness we're leaving this place briefly, 'cause I think that this jail is driving you crazy," she says laughing loudly.

"Maybe I was infected by your bipolarity," I joke.

When my phone rings my heart starts pounding. It usually happens every time they call me, although I don't know if Emily is the one who is calling. In fact, most of time that person is my mom, but I live in hope. When I look at the screen I feel confused.

"Spencer? Is something wrong?" I ask surprisedly.

"Yeah, I've a huge problem. My problem is you," she says angrily. I was afraid this time would come, and I'm not prepared to deal with her. I suppose I'll have to be quiet and put up with it. I made a huge mistake, karma is happening.

"I know I'm the stupidest person on earth. I screwed up, you don't need to remind me."

"I thought you were my friend, but you proved me wrong. I guess you don't understand what a friendship means. Betraying a friend is not okay, Kate did that to you, but I guess you didn't learn anything from that," she says ironically. I don't understand why she mentioned Kate.

"Kate? What did she do?" I'm confused.

"I told you not to hurt her, Paige. What is wrong with you?" She changes the subject, she doesn't want to talk about Kate. That bothers me, 'cause I don't know why she said that she betrayed me.

"I don't have an excuse. I was going through a hard period and I took against her. I'm sorry."

"You're sorry? That's all you're going to say? You're a fucking coward!" She keeps yelling at me, but I decide not to say a word. Alice is looking at me, she knows something is going on, something bad.

"Is she there? Can I talk to her?" I ask desperately. She already hang up on me. She didn't give me the chance to explain what happened.

"Who was that?" Alice asks frowning at me.

"A friend of Emily's. She was out of her mind. She was right, though. I don't deserve her," I add sadly.

**Emily's POV**

I feel like I'm being stalked by my girlfriend. Well, ex-girlfriend, actually. She's been calling me since the day she dumped me. I guess she wants to apologize, but there's no point talking to her when I'm not sure what I'm going to say to her. I mean, I love her, but if her attitude doesn't change, it's not worth trying. I can't stop thinking about her, but being in Boston with my friends is helping me. After having a shower I go downstairs to meet my friends. I hear Spencer's voice, she's talking to somebody, she's more than furious.

"You're a fucking coward!" she yells. When she sees me she immediately hangs up her phone and smiles at me. She's trying to act normal, but I know something bad happened.

"Who was that on the phone? You seemed angry."

"Toby," she says. She's lying, of course.

"If you don't want to tell me, that's okay." She nods at me, she doesn't want to talk about it, so I won't put pressure on her.

Suddenly my phone starts ringing. I look at it, an unknown number is calling me.

"Hello."

"Emily?"

"Yes. Who is it?"

"I'm Alice."

"Hi," I say shyly.

"Hi. Are you busy? I want to talk to you," she says nicely. I make Spencer a gesture and I walk upstairs, I want to be alone 'cause I know Spencer well.

"Well… I guess you want to convince me about you know…" I say while I open my bedroom door.

"I know you're hurt and you don't want to talk to her. I get it. She made a mistake. But I want you to know that she was having a hard time and she wasn't thinking clearly."

"I offered my help, I don't know what else I could do. She didn't say what was going on. She dumped me. End of the story."

"Okay, I know you don't know me at all. But, trust me, they were trying to make her life a living hell. I know that has nothing to do with you, but she was emotionally unstable."

"'They'? Who are you talking about?"

"The other swimmers. I don't want to say anything else. She should be the one to tell you about that. I just wanted to make clear that she's the dumbest person in the world, but she is also adorable," she says laughing slightly. "Talk to her, please."

"I appreciate your call, Alice. I know she's your friend, but I don't promise you anything."

"Okay. Thank you for not hanging up on me," she jokes. "Have a nice day, Emily."

"You too. Bye."

When I push the red button on my phone I see that I got a text from Kate.

"**Hey! We need to talk about it, Emily. I can't stop thinking about it, and it's driving me crazy. Call me asap. xoxoxo"**

My head is a mess. Going back to Rosewood will be a nightmare, I will have to handle Paige and Kate, and I know it won't be easy.

**Review, please. ;)**

**To be continued…**


	31. Chapter 31: The reunion

**Thank you so much, guys! I love reading your reviews, you're so nice. :)**

**Today I had free time and I thought I owe you a quick update after the break up. You may not like this chapter, but not everything is happiness in this world. :) Besides, I love drama. ;)**

**Anyway, a lot of ideas came to my mind and I just needed to write this chapter.**

**I'll try to update as soon as possible, but be patient, please. ;)**

**Don't forget I am not a native English speaker, so I apologize in advance for my grammar mistakes.**

**Jamscottroc54: Your review was hilarious. :D Thank you for your support! Alice was awesome, right? I understand why you hate Kate. xD I want you to live, so here is another chapter. ;)**

**Jezzabelle-at-sea: Hahaha. I'm glad you're an addict. I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm so happy you like my story. Thanks! :)**

**dayabieberxo: LOL. Killers instincts.**

**abc: They will end up together eventually. :)**

**Sazar: Thank you! If there's no drama there's no happy reconciliation. :)**

**peke: ¡Gracias! Paige sí que da un poco de pena, pero Emily también lo está pasando mal. Siempre nos ponemos de parte de Paige (yo incluida) y no sé por qué. LOL Hay más drama, aunque no os guste. xD**

**Del: In this chapter you'll see if the kiss was intended. Let's just say you won't like it. xD You know I love surprises, that's why I included the kiss and the break-up. It gets the story more interesting. Otherwise I couldn't have written 30 chapters in a row. :D**

**Cony: Jajaja. Es que mi intención fue que pensaráis que iba a haber rollo entre Alice y Paige, y que luego os enterarais de lo del beso de Kate a Em. Sí, lo sé, soy mala persona. :D En este capítulo ya están en Rosewood, así que será más entretenido. ¡Muchas gracias! Me alegro de que te guste.**

**Paige's POV**

The long-awaited day is finally here. It's the first day of school after summer break and I'm really happy. It's the first day in my life I feel pretty euphoric because I'm going back to that place everybody hates. But I have a reason to be like that, after almost three months I'm finally going to see her. She kept ignoring my phone calls, but she can't avoid me forever, and I'm going to do everything in my power to try to speak with her. I may have a problem, though. Spencer, aka The Pitbull, will be keeping an eye on her. She's one of her best friends and she's extremely overprotective, she won't leave me get close to her. I got to choose the right moment to approach her. I'll do that when Hastings is not around. Today I have swimming practice, so I think that's the best moment to 'stalk' her.

I barely slept tonight, but I'm feeling energetic. I have a quick breakfast and I kiss my mom before walking out. She's been very affectionate since I came back from the swim camp, I guess that means she missed me.

It's early, but I want to stop by that café Emily likes so much. I know it's almost impossible she'll be there, but it's worth a try. Besides, I could use some caffeine in my body. I know today will be an exhausting day, and coffee works for me to keep me awake and focused.

When I enter the café I see that there's only one girl seating at a table. The place is empty, there's something about complete silence that makes me feel good. It's too early to be here if you're not a caffeine addict or a girl waiting for the love of her life to turn up with a smile on her face. I take a seat at the closest table and I order an espresso. When I take the first sip I hear the door is opening. I feel my heart pounding. My body's reaction is really stupid, it doesn't mean that person is Emily. I turn around and I see a familiar face staring at me. Aria Montgomery just entered the café. She keeps a straight face for a few seconds, but she finally smiles at me and decides to come closer. I'm getting nervous, I don't know what she's going to say and I clearly have no logical answers for my lousy attitude.

"How are you?" she asks euphorically as he hugs me. Okay, I didn't see this coming. Not only did she smiled at me like 'that' never had happened, but she also hugged me like she is actually my friend.

"I'm fine. How about you?" I say nicely. I'm still in shock, but I want to act normal.

"I'm great. I just need caffeine so badly," she says giggling. "Wow! You lost a lot of weight!" she exclaims surprisedly.

"Yeah, you know, a hard swim workout combined with healthy eating can do this to your body. I'm sure I'll gain weight when I start eating my daily consumption of chocolate," I joke.

"So, what are you doing here so early?"

"I needed caffeine, just like you," I lie. She raises her eyebrows, I think she knows the real reason why I'm sitting here. We both know this place is Emily's favorite, and she usually comes here if she has time before class.

"Look, Aria, I made a mistake. I didn't mean to…" I start saying before she interrupts me. I can't keep speaking with her like nothing happened in three months. She's trying to obviate the subject, probably because she wants to avoid that awkward moment when we start talking about Emily.

"You don't have to explain anything, Paige. I'm not the right person to talk about that, I'm just her friend. I don't know why you did that, but you're a nice person, I am confident you will work it out," she adds as she shows me a huge smile.

"I want to make things right, but she's ignoring me. I just need to get some alone time with her. I will fight for her," I add frowning. I want her friend to know that I won't give up easily.

"It won't be easy, you got to be patient. She'll forgive you eventually, trust me."

"Thanks. I really appreciate your kindness." I take the last sip of my coffee and I stand up. "I got to go, Aria. See you later," I say as I wave at her. I know Emily won't show up, so I head to school. I can't wait to see her.

I'm walking down the hall and I see her beautiful shiny hair. She's standing next to her locker, she looks beautiful. I keep walking towards her, but the girl she's talking to turns around and stares defiantly at me. Spencer seems so angry that I instantly stop walking, my feet are not responding. Emily is looking at me too, but she doesn't seem so pissed as her best friend. She's not smiling either, but her face is friendlier. I know that doesn't mean she forgave me, but it gives me hope. If I could hear Spencer's thoughts, I'm pretty sure that it will be something like 'Don't you dare come here if you don't want trouble'. I've been putting up with a group of girls that enjoyed tormenting me for three months, I know I can handle another violent girl. This time is different, though. I know she's not a mean person, she's only trying to protect her friend from the evil ex-girlfriend who broke her heart into little pieces. I pluck up courage and I get closer to them with the idea of trying to talk her into giving me a chance to explain myself. I know it won't be easy, but I'm determined to be brave and make her understand that I still have feelings for her.

"Hey," I say staring at her. She looks away, it seems like she doesn't want to make eye contact with me. I don't know if that is a good or bad thing. Spencer's face expression changes abruptly.

"I will be brief. Leave, now," Spencer adds. Her eyes are flashing with anger. Emily keeps looking inside her locker, although she has the books she needs in her left hand. She's avoiding me, again.

"I won't leave until she says so," I add defiantly. Her 'bodyguard' attitude is bothering me. Can't she understand we have to talk, even if that is too painful for her friend?

"She's fed up with you, don't you see?" She yells at me.

Emily turns her head to look at me. "Leave, please." I know she doesn't mean that, I can see it in her eyes. She's trying to make out she's fine, but she's clearly not over me. However, her words really do hurt. I sigh heavily and I keep walking towards my class. Anyway, I lost the first battle, but I'm a good warrior, this is not the end.

Before entering the class, I call Kate several times, but she doesn't pick up. I'm curious about what Spencer said about her, I need to speak with her. Besides, she's one of my only friends here and I don't want to have lunch alone. I'm starting to think that she's avoiding me. She's the kind of girl who answers her phone immediately, and she didn't pick up every time I called her from the swim camp either. This is so odd.

**Emily's POV**

Paige looks thinner than I expected. I mean, I saw her two months ago and she had lost a lot of weight, but now she's even thinner. But she's not the kind of skinny person that you see and it seems she's going to break into pieces. She built muscle mass, not excessively, though. I've always found her very attractive, but today she was so hot that I felt the urge to kiss her. I could also feel butterflies in my stomach when she was approaching us. I definitely love her, I can't deny that.

After a very boring morning, I walk in the cafeteria where I'm having lunch with my friends. Hanna waves at me. I approach them and sit down at the same table.

"Hey! How was your first day?" Aria asks nicely.

"Well… boring."

"She didn't want to bother you, but she was really asking about Paige," Hanna adds raising her eyebrows.

"You're wrong, Hanna." Aria pauses. "Actually, I'd like to know what happened with her, but it's okay if you don't want to talk about that." Aria smiles at me. Spencer is silent, she only has eyes for her phone. I guess she doesn't want to talk about my ex.

"Spencer scared her away with her yelling." Spencer suddenly turns her head and frowns at me.

"I thought you wanted her to leave," she says calmly.

"You need to talk to her, Em. She's been calling you non-stop, she won't stop until you give her a chance. I know it hurts, but you have to handle it maturedly," Hanna adds. I can't believe Hanna, my impetuous friend, said those words.

"Wow! You're finally growing up, Hanna Marin," Spencer jokes. Hanna laughs loudly and she continues eating her macaroni.

Suddenly Aria starts waving at someone euphorically. I turn around to see who she's waving at, and I see Paige waving back at her with a smile on her face. I melt when I see her perfect smile. She looks around hesitantly, but she finally sits alone at the remotest table. She wants to keep her distance, facing Spencer wouldn't be a good idea.

"What was that about?" Hanna asks with a surprised look on her face.

"I like her. I'm sorry, Em. I know she hurt you, but…"

"It's okay, Aria. You don't have to explain yourself to anyone."

"Actually, I spoke with her this morning. I went to grab a coffee at the café around the corner and she was there. I have a theory about that." She smiles at me. "That's your favorite coffee in town, Em," she affirms.

"She's having lunch alone. I know I can't have her join us, but it's sad," Hanna says staring at me.

"Are you trying to make me feel guilty?" I joke. "Stop it. Just in case you forgot, she dumped me," I say with a straight face.

"She basically told me that she will fight for you. She loves you, Em. Give her a chance," Aria says nicely. I can't help but blush when I hear the word 'love'. Spencer is staring at me.

"Just do it already! You're dying to be with her. Besides, you don't need my approval, you're a big girl," Spencer adds grinning. "But be careful." She nods at me.

I look at my watch, I have class in 10 minutes. The conversation will have to wait. Besides, I don't want to interrupt her lunch time.

"Okay, guys. I got to go. Thank you, you're adorable," I add smiling widely. "See you later!"

"Bye, Em!" the three of them say in unison.

I grab my purse and I slowly approach her table. I'm standing next to her, but she doesn't realize I'm there. She's eating and reading at the same time.

"Paige," I say while I touch her arm.

"Hi," she says smiling at me. Her smile makes me shiver.

"We can talk after swimming practice. Is that okay with you?" I say shyly.

"Sure. I've been waiting for this moment since that… fateful day." She looks at me with her sad puppy eyes. She knows I can't resist her when she gives me that look.

"By the way, you should know that I don't go to that café on Mondays," I tease her. She smiles at me as I leave the cafeteria.

I couldn't stop staring at her during swim practice. After an intense practice, I go take a shower, but Paige doesn't, she's talking to Coach Fulton. I take a quick shower and I sit on a bench outside the locker room. I'm waiting for her while I check my email, when all of a sudden I hear Kate's voice.

"Hi. I'm glad you're here, I want to speak with you about what I did the other day," she says as she sits next to me.

"It's not really necessary. You don't have to explain yourself. It was no big deal," I add trying to play it down.

"But you're dating my friend. That's not okay," she insists.

"Well… About that… We broke up, but…" I start saying when she interrupts me with a kiss. She didn't even give the chance to explain the breaking up part, she seized the moment. It's the second time she does that, I don't know what the hell is wrong with her.

I must be the unluckiest person on Earth, 'cause at that exact moment the locker room door opens and Paige sees us.

**Review, please. ;)**

**To be continued…**


	32. Chapter 32: Tears

**Thank you so much, guys! I love reading your reviews, you're so nice. :)**

**Wow! Chapter 32! I can't believe I made it so far. I really enjoyed writing this chapter. I hope you like it too. :)**

**I always listen to music while I'm writing, and I recently realized that I write happy or dramatic scenes depending on the music I'm listening to at that moment. So, blame the music! xD**

**I'll try to update as soon as possible, but be patient, please. ;)**

**Don't forget I am not a native English speaker, so I apologize in advance for my grammar mistakes.**

**dayabieberxo: Hahaha. It's good that you discovered you have a dark side. You're welcome. xD Paige will be very angry, you're right about that.**

**Jezzabelle-at-sea: Thank you so much! Yeah, I admit I have a twisted mind. I'm glad you like this story so much.**

**Cony: ¡Gracias! Ya todo el mundo odia a Kate. ****¡Objetivo conseguido! xD Está claro que Em no pilla las indirectas, porque ya es la segunda vez que la besa sin que ella oponga resistencia. Sip, unas clases no estarían mal. LOL**

**Bamary: You all want angry Paige. What is wrong with you, guys? xD**

**Sazar: Yeah, Kate got into trouble. Emily has a conversation with her, I think it's what they need right now.**

**Del: Thank you! Hahaha. I'm not trying to kill you. Yeah, I admit I'm a party pooper, but I knew from the first moment Kate showed up she was gonna be trouble. If the story starts getting boring I'll quit. xD Paige will handle it okay, not violence involved. As for Emily, you'll know more about the Kate situation, but there's more to come in upcoming chapters.**

**Jamscottroc54: Oh, you're so funny! :D I stopped there 'cause I'm evil. xD I just love cliffhangers, I can't help it. I agree about the "Sis Code" rule. Hahaha. Kate is just lost, you'll know more about her in this chapter. Your idea about the fight is fucking fantastic. LOL The murder part is not viable, because that would involve police, and we want more Paily, right? :D**

**Alice is not gone forever, she was great and we will hear more about her sooner than you think. There's another conversation between The Pitbull and Paige, but this one is light. xD**

**Michelle: I'm glad you love drama. Paige won't be happy about the kiss, but let's see how she handles it. :)**

**Paige's POV**

I've been thinking about this moment all day. I was so happy because Emily finally was willing to talk to me about our sudden break-up. Well, actually I was the one to blame for that, I messed up hugely. I hoped that everything will be the same, because last time I saw her she even joked and smiled at me.

When I saw her locking her lips against hers, I felt my world was falling apart. I mean, I knew she was angry at me because of my lousy attitude towards her, but I didn't expect she had moved on with Kate. First of all, I didn't know she was into girls, and I really don't care about that. But I thought she was my friend, dating my ex is the ultimate back-stabbing. I helped through her problem and I supported her in every way I could. It's really frustrating to learn that they have been keeping it secret while I was completely sure I could get 'my girl' back.

My wide smile turns into a disappointment face as I see Kate kissing her. Emily quickly pulls away when she sees me leaving the locker room. Her face turns red as I stare at her angrily. If I was a cartoon character, I would be venting smoke from my ears, I am seriously about to explode with rage. I've been waiting for this moment so long hoping that everything would turn out all right. I am so foolish to think that she was going to wait for me to come back and try to make things right. She is obviously not interested in giving our relationship another try.

"What the fuck is this?" I add angrily.

"Paige… It's not what it looks like. I'm not…" she says trying to obviate what really happened.

"I thought that you wanted to…" I can't even finish the sentence. I look at the floor, trying to avert her eyes. I don't want her to think that I'm so hurt inside that I don't know how to handle it. I didn't see this coming, I was blind for a moment. Now I get Spencer's comment about Kate being a traitor and why she didn't pick up my calls. She was dating my girl… Well, my ex. This thought feels like I'm being stabbed over and over again. "You could have told me that you were…" I start saying not being able to continue talking. She gets closer to me and looks me in the eyes.

"I swear there's nothing between us, Paige," she says as she holds my right hand. Her touch makes my heart race uncontrollably.

"Don't touch me," I exclaim while I move my hand away. Her face saddens, I can even see a tear running down her beautiful face.

"Paige, just…" she starts saying as I approach Kate. She's staring at the floor, I can tell she's obviously ashamed of herself, but I can't help but say what I really think of her behaviour.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" I add staring at her defiantly. "I thought you were my friend, but you proved me wrong. I'd have done anything for you, and you betrayed me."

"I'm sorry, Paige. I wasn't sure of my feelings until now, but now I'm quite sure about it. I'm sorry I fell for your… gir… ex-gir… Emily," she adds hesitantly. _Is she really saying that she loves her? Come on! She barely knows Emily. That's impossible_. I don't know what to say, she just admitted she likes her. I look at Emily and she has a surprise look too, she made both our jaws drop. We're both speechless. I can't stand being in this place anymore. I take the bracelet Emily got me off and I give it back to Emily.

"This is pointless. Maybe your new girlfriend wants to wear this. I don't want to have anything yours anymore," I say full of sorrow. She's about to burst into tears. I feel awful, but this is something it needs to be done in order to move on. I don't want to suffer anymore. She made a choice and there is no point in insisting.

"Paige, please…" she says as she wipes the tears from her eyes.

I walk away at a good pace, trying to forget that fateful kiss. I head to the parking lot as quickly as possible, staring at the floor. Just when I'm about to get to my bike, I run into Spencer. _Great, I'm so lucky! _She looks at me before she opens her mouth_._

"Hi. I thought you were with Emily," she says nicely. She's being oddly kind to me. This morning she was yelling at me and she's smiling at me now. _What the hell is wrong with her? Are they laughing at me?_ I mean, she clearly knows Emily is dating Kate and she also knows I'm desperately trying to get our relationship back on track.

"Are you kidding me? Do you enjoy tormenting me, Hastings? I know I fucked up when I broke up with her but if this is your revenge you're meaner than I thought. I'm hurt, okay? I don't need you to remind me that I lost her for good," I yell at her, trying to hold back tears.

"I don't know what you're talking about, but I would never wish you bad things. I don't know what is going on with you right now, but from your expression I conclude you're pissed. Trust me, you didn't lose her," she adds calmly. I get even more annoyed when I hear her say that I still have a chance. Her calm attitude gets me angrier, I don't know how to deal these feelings anymore.

"So, where is Emily?" she insists.

"She's with her girlfriend," I add furiously. She looks at me with her eyes wide open, she's perplexed by my comment.

"Wait a moment…" she says as I walk away. I don't want to speak with her about Emily's love life, so I ignore her. I get on my bike and I start pedalling as fast as I can. I just want to get home and lay on my bed.

I get home and my mom is cooking in the kitchen. It smells really good.

"Hi, honey," my mom greets me.

"Hi," I add pretending to be okay. She stares at me and raises her eyebrows. I know she's about to say something that I won't like, I can feel it.

"Okay, Paigey. What is wrong with Emily?" she adds as she grabs my arm so I can't leave.

"Mom, it's not always about Emily. I'm just tired, that's all."

"I'm pretty sure it has to do with Emily. Just work it out. You've been very cranky lately."

"Mom… I just… I'm not in the mood, okay? I'm exhausted." I close my eyes and sigh heavily. She rolls her eyes. Skiving off her questioning won't be as easy as I expected.

"It's okay if you don't want to talk about it, but you should know that whatever it is going on with your life right now won't go away. You have to deal with it, even if it's hurtful." I nod at her. She's right, but talking to Emily is the last thing I want to do in this right moment.

"Can I go to my bedroom, please?" I smile at her. I don't want my mom to worry about me, even though I'm feeling like shit.

"Okay, honey. Dinner will be ready in about an hour. I'll call you," she adds nicely.

"Sure. Thanks."

Once I get to my bedroom and I lay down I close my eyes and I try to think about nothing. But my mind can't stop thinking about her. I know she didn't cheat on me, 'cause I broke up with her, but deep inside me it feels like cheating. Three months ago I had a beautiful and caring girlfriend and a good friend called Kate. Now I have nothing.

All of a sudden my phone starts ringing loudly. I won't answer, she can keep calling me, but I don't want to speak with her. Not today. I grab my phone to see if I was right, because Emily's called several times, but it's not her.

"Hi."

"Hello, there," Alice says cheerfully. "Aren't you happy because I'm calling you, dumbass?" she jokes.

"Let's say it's not the best day of my life," I add.

"Trouble in paradise?" she asks.

"She's dating another girl, Alice," I say sadly. "But I don't want to bore you with my pathetic love life. What about you?"

"I'm great. I don't start school until next week, so I was wondering if…" she starts saying before I interrupt her.

"You're more than welcome to come to Rosewood, you know that." I could really use a friend right now, 'cause I realized that I'm alone.

"Are you sure about that? I don't want to cause you trouble. I mean, I guess that you're devastated and you may prefer to be alone."

"I'd love your company. I need you more than ever," I insist.

"Okay. I'm glad you want to see me, 'cause I miss you," she adds.

"Great. I'll call you tomorrow and we will arrange your visit, okay?"

"Perfect! We'll talk tomorrow. Bye!" she adds happily.

I hang up the phone and I close my eyes. I don't want to keep thinking about her, I feel like I'm being tortured by my own thoughts. I don't know if listening to music is going to make it harder for my mind to concentrate on that hurtful moment, but trying won't hurt, so I grab my iPod and I press the play button.

**Emily's POV**

I can't believe she left and she didn't let me clarify what really happened between me and Kate. Kate really has perfect timing, because if Paige had shown a few seconds before or later, nothing would have happened. I just would explain to her that Kate had kissed me twice. I'm pretty sure she'd totally understand that I do love her, not Kate.

Now, I'm sitting on this bench totally heartbroken. Kate gets closer and puts her arm over my shoulder.

"Don't," I say looking at her angrily.

"I'm so sorry. I thought that you two…"

"You didn't give me the chance to explain myself, Kate," I add raising my voice. "Why did you kiss me again? I thought the first time you acted on an impulse, that it didn't mean anything. I mean, you were drunk and I thought that was alcohol talking or that you were just curious about kissing a girl. I don't understand what is wrong with you," I add frowning.

She starts crying uncontrollably. "I'm sorry, Emily. I just… I can't control my feelings. I know what I did was wrong, but I like you." I give her a puzzled look, I didn't expect this. So, she's gay. I was right about that, but at that time I was convinced that she was into Paige. I can't help but feel sorry for her, although she fucked everything up.

"In different circumstances… I don't know what would have happened. But I'm in love with Paige. You will find the one, I'm sure about that. I mean, you're attractive, clever and nice. I'm sorry, but I can't give you what you want."

"I don't want anyone else, I just want you," she insists.

"I'm sorry, Kate," I add categorically. I stand up and I walk away. I know she's devastated, but she got to understand that sometimes we don't get everything we want. And right now I just want Paige. I only have eyes for her.

I make my way towards the parking lot and I hear someone calling my name. I turn around to see that Spencer is waiting next to my car.

"Tell me what happened. I spoke with Paige just a few minutes ago and she was pissed."

"In short… Kate kissed me again."

"Are you serious?" she adds looking open-mouthed at me.

"She did. And of course Paige saw us and now she thinks I'm dating her. This is a complete disaster."

"I asked her about you and she thought I was laughing at her. Now I understand why she was so angry at me. I'm sorry, Em," Spencer says honestly.

"It's okay, Spence. I should have told Kate back then that I was not interested in her. But she was wasted and I didn't think she had feelings for me."

"She likes you? Since when does she like girls?" She's as astonished as I was just a few minutes ago.

"I don't know. I actually think that she's confused and she found comfort in me. Anyway, that won't happen," I add looking at my friend.

"Call Paige, Em. I'm going to the library, so I'll see you tomorrow. Good luck!"

"Thanks. See you tomorrow," I say smiling at her.

I get into my car and I call her non-stop, but as I expected, she doesn't want to talk to me. I turn the engine on and I start driving till I get to her place. I won't go home until I see her, I just can't wait until tomorrow. I park the car on her driveway and I ring on the bell.

"Hi, Emily. It's so nice to see you," her mom says cheerfully after she opens the front door.

"Good afternoon, Mrs. McCullers," I say politely. I know she wants me to call her name, but I'm too nervous to remember that about her. "Is Paige home?" I add shyly.

"Yeah, she's in her bedroom. Come on in," she says pointing at the interior of their beautiful house.

"I don't want to bother you, but I need to speak with her." She smiles at me. I don't know if she knows that we broke up months ago, but I can tell she's happy about my visit.

"You are not bothering us at all. I'm sure Paige will be happy to see you." I'm not so sure about that. She points at the stairs and she smiles at me again.

"Thank you," I add before going downstairs.

I'm in front of her bedroom, my legs are shaking and my heart starts pounding. I knock on her door.

"Come on in, mom," she says.

I open the door not knowing what her reaction will be when she sees me walking in her bedroom.

**To be continued…**

**Review, please. Thanks, guys! ;)**


	33. Chapter 33: Deal with it

**Thank you so much, guys! You made my day with your reviews, you're adorable. ;)**

**I know you want more interaction between the girls, so this chapter will make you really happy. I know these last chapters have been total drama, so this one is funnier. However, it's not as happy as you want it to be. Otherwise the story will end. So, be patient, Paily addicts, please. :D**

**I really enjoyed writing this chapter, I hope you like it too. :)**

**I know it's not as lengthy as you wished it to be, but I wanted to update asap and I don't have a lot of free time.**

**I'll try to update as soon as possible, but be patient, please. ;)**

**Don't forget I am not a native English speaker, so I apologize in advance for my grammar mistakes.**

**Cony: La conversación no os defraudará, o ésa es mi intención. xD Muchas gracias por tu apoyo, en serio, te mereces otra dosis de Paily para vivir. LOL He escuchado música más feliz (la recomendación me ha encantado xD) y creo que esta vez se notará. :)**

**Jamscottroc54: Spencer is a very impulsive girl, but she knows Emily is hurting and she also knows Paige is the solution to Em's sadness. So, let's just say she will be both pitbull and chihuahua depending on the situation. xD Killer instict! LMFAO I love cliffhangers and I also love your idea about the making out part, but it's not going to be like that. :)**

**dayabieberxo: I'm glad you like Alice/Paige friendship, 'cause there's more coming.**

**glorymania: Thanks! Alice's character is the one I need to make the story more interesting. I haven't thought what is going to happen next yet, but I have some ideas in mind. My writing style changed? Really? I didn't notice. :) I hope that's a good thing. You don't have to apologize for anything. :)**

**Cici: You were right about Kate! Hahaha. As for Emily not pulling away, don't forget she's a very naive person. Maybe she liked the kiss though. Who knows? xD**

**Sazar: Clearing up everything with Paige won't be so easy.**

**J9: Thank you! I mean, if your crying means that you're complimenting me. :D**

**Del: Thanks! Surprising you is my goal. :) I hope this chapter is fun to read too. Alice's visit will be good, you'll see. :)**

**Jd: Sure, I did it. Hahaha.**

**bamary: Alice just misses her friend, that's all. LOL Thank you!**

**Emily's POV**

I open the door slowly and I walk in her bedroom with hesitation. She's laying on her bed, listening to music. She looks surprised, she was expecting her mom, I showed up instead.

"What the…?" she starts saying scowling at me.

"Your mom let me in," I interrupt her. I get closer to her bed and I sit down on the edge. She moves to the other side of the bed, she clearly wants to keep distance. She keeps staring at me with a straight-face, she doesn't say a word though.

"Relax, I won't hurt you," I add smiling lightly.

"You already did," she says frowning at me. It won't be easy, she is getting on the defensive and she's not willing to solve our little misunderstanding.

"I didn't do anything, Paige. Why do you think I'm here?" I raise my eyebrows, waiting for her answer, but she doesn't open her mouth.

"I don't want you here, that's the thing," she says looking at me defiantly.

"Okay, I'm here now, and we need to talk. I want to explain what really happened. I don't care if you keep being so grumpy, I came here to talk. I won't leave until you listen everything I have to say." She rolls her eyes and sighs at the same time.

"Don't you understand I just need time? I don't want to talk about that right now. I want to be alone."

"I can't wait any longer. If I remember correctly, this morning you were more than happy to have this conversation," I add smiling at her. I can't get her to smile, she refuses to act like she always does. I miss her smile.

"That was before I learnt you were dating her."

"How many times do I have to say that I'm not with her? I told her that she had to stop doing that. She kissed me again, but I made it very clear that she misinterpreted our relationship."

"Again? So this wasn't the first time?" she says angrily.

"She was drunk, I played down the importance of that kiss. The first time she kissed me you were at the swim camp. I wanted to tell you, but you broke up with me. Did you forget that?" I add visibly annoyed. I know she's hurt, but I came clean and I am still in pain because she left me for no reason.

"I truly regret that decision. But I didn't expect you to cheat on me?"

"Cheat on you? Oh, God. Just stop the crap!" I say almost yelling at her. "What about you? Did you meet somebody over there? Maybe that Alice girl?" I ask ironically. I don't know if she's the real reason she dumped me, but I'm starting to be suspicious.

"Do you really think that I had time to flirt with girls? Come on, Emily! She was my friend, she helped me a lot. I was having a hard time and you were too much for me."

"Too much? Are you kidding me? I wanted to help you, but you refused my help. I was worried about you, but you refused to talk. What was I supposed to do? Tell me, Paige!" I yell at her. I need to calm down, but I can't stand when she's so stubborn. She should admit that she made a mistake too. I mean, she dumped me and my life has been a living hell since then.

"Whatever," she says shaking her head.

"Don't whatever me!" I'm pissed. If she's trying to hurt me, she's succeeding. I hate when she's so childish, she seems like a different person.

"Do you want to say anything else?" She scowls at me. She's loafing around, I know this is not like her. I suppose she's trying to make me believe that she doesn't give a damn about this relationship, but I know she's as devastated as I am.

"Yeah, I really do," I say as I get closer to her. She's a few inches from me, I can tell she's getting nervous.

"So… say it already, I don't have all day," she says cockily although I know her heart is racing. It's been a long time since we've been apart, and I know she has feelings for me. I noticed she's tapping her feet nervously.

"I love you, Paige McCullers," I whisper in her ear. She instantly flushes.

I get up and I reach into my pocket for the bracelet she gave me back.

"By the way, I want you to have this," I add while I leave it on the bed next to her. As I'm about to leave the bedroom her mom knocks on the door once. I go open the door as quickly as possible.

"I'm sorry to bother you, but dinner is ready and your dad got home a few minutes ago," she says staring at Paige.

Paige just nods at her. There are no words coming out of her mouth. I left her speechless.

"Is everything okay, honey?" she asks staring at her own daughter, who doesn't say a word.

"Yeah," she says concisely.

"Do you want to join us for dinner, Emily?" her mom says nicely.

Suddenly Paige recovers her power of speech. "She was just telling me that she has a paper due tomorrow, so maybe another time," she says faking a smile.

"Actually, I finished that paper before coming here, so I gladly accept the invitation," I add staring at her with an evil smile. She ignored me, she totally deserves it.

"That's great! We'll be waiting downstairs, girls," her mom adds cheerfully. I smile and nod at her. I wait till I hear her footsteps on the stairs.

"Your mom doesn't know, right?" I ask after closing the door. She shakes her head.

"Why did you do that? I'm not ready for this. I saw you kissing another girl this afternoon, I'm not in the mood." She looks annoyed.

"Cut the crap, Paige!" I snort. She jumps out of bed and approaches me.

"Don't do anything stupid." She tilts a finger, pointing to me.

"Okay, honey," I say grinning at her. Her face expression is still the same, I can't believe she's not going to smile at me not even once. I thought she was more forgiving. I won't give up though. "Let's go," I say as I slap her butt.

"Don't do that. It's not funny," she exclaims staring at me as she wrinkles her forehead angrily. I can't help but laugh when I see her psychopath face.

**Paige's POV**

Maybe I'm being too harsh on her, but I can't forget everything that happened so easily. I need time to heal my wounds, I can't jump into her arms like nothing happened. Of course I love her, but I don't want to rush things and get hurt again. I couldn't overcome another heartbreak. I admit she's being adorable and I felt butterflies in my stomach when she whispered and touched me. I can´t help but find her irresistible, she has that effect on me. However, I need time to think about everything. I'd prefer if she wasn't staying for dinner, I don't want to make things more awkward. I hope my mom talks non-stop during dinner, otherwise I'll have to pretend everything between us is great. Besides, I can tell Emily has something in mind.

"Hi, Emily," my dad says when we get to the living room.

"Hi, Mr. McCullers. Thank you for inviting me. It smells great," she adds smiling at my mom.

"Take a seat, girls," my mom says cheerfully.

Emily sits next to me with a happy look on her face. Suddenly she smooths my untidy hair back from my face, causing my heart to race faster. The weird thing is that my dad is watching us and he doesn't care, he even smiles at me. It's awesome that he finally accepted me for who I am. He has come a long way and I'm so grateful. When my mom seats in the chair, we start eating.

"How were your holidays, Emily?" My mom finally asks, breaking the silence.

"Short," she jokes grinning at my mom. "Everything was good. I had a little problem too, but I think everything worked out in the end," she adds while she puts her hand on my left thigh and starts caressing me. I instantly flush and I tense up. My mom looks confused, I suppose she saw my face and she knows something is going on.

"Is everything okay, Paige?"

"Yeah, mom. I just… I'm hot," I say as I stand and take off my sweater. Emily smirks at me, she's definitely having fun torturing me. If she keeps doing things like that I may have a heart attack right here, right now. She needs to stop. I sit down again, moving my chair further from hers, so I can avoid her touch. She's making me feel very awkward in front of my parents.

"As I was saying, I spent summer vacation with my friends and family. I swam a lot too, I needed to get fit and improve my swim times."

"That's good. I mean, if you don't want my daughter to kick your ass," my dad says before laughing.

"Yeah, I know she was the best at that swim camp. I'm so proud of her," Emily says as she holds my hand under the table.

"Kate improved her swim times too, right?" I ask her as I raise my eyebrows.

"Kate? Are we talking about your teammate? If I remember well she was not a quick swimmer," my dad says frowning.

"Yeah, dad. She improved a lot this summer, right, Em?" I ask ironically.

"Actually, she did. But she is no competition, you're irreplaceable," she says smiling at me. When I see my mom with a surprised look I smile back at Emily. I don't want her to notice that I'm not dating her anymore.

"I forgot to tell you that Alice called home, she said that she'd try calling to your cell," my mom says changing the subject.

"Yeah, she did. She wants to come to Rosewood since she doesn't start school till next week. I told her she could stay here, I hope that's okay." My mom nods at me. I knew she would be okay with it. I look at Emily and she's not happy at all. I can't believe she really thinks that something happened between us. I guess she thinks so because I didn't tell her why I broke up with her, and she must think that I did it because of another girl. There's no way I would do that, but she's still jealous.

"When is she coming?" my dad asks.

"I'm not sure yet. I'll call her tomorrow, but I suppose she'll be here by Wednesday."

"She's so sweet and adorable," my mom adds. Suddenly Emily's wide smile disappears. She's biting her downer lip, she's clearly nervous about my friend's visit.

Once we finish dinner, Emily grabs her purse and says goodbye to my parents. I'm pretty sure my mom knows there's something going on between us, 'cause when she's about to open the front door she opens her big mouth again.

"Wait, Emily! It's dark out there. Why don't you give her a ride home, honey?" my mom says staring at me. I know that look, she's not asking it nicely, she's ordering me to do so.

"Okay," I add briefly. She holds my hand and she opens the door. My mom is watching, so I can't tell her to let me go.

We both get into my car and I start the engine before accelerating. I can feel that she's staring at me.

"So…" she says gazing at me.

"I need time."

"What does that mean?" She wrinkles her forehead and sighs heavily.

"It means that I don't want to be mad at you, but I'm not ready after everything that happened. I just want to be friends for now." I've always been impulsive, and I know that sometimes that doesn't work. If she really loves me, she'll have to understand that I need time.

"Friends? I can't be friends with you," she says angrily.

"I just… can't," I say staring at her. She turns to look out of the car window, averting my eyes.

I slow down the car and I pull over. She suddenly turns to face me. Our faces are just inches apart, her eyes are tearing up, I can hear her breathing.

"Listen to me. Go find yourself another friend. I don't need more friends." She leans in to kiss me. The kiss lasts for a while, it feels great, but after a few seconds I pull back. "Friends don't do that. Think about that," she says before leaving my car.

I can't help but watch her as she walks towards the front door and disappears. Now I just need to rest. Tomorrow will be another day.

**Review, please. Thanks. ;)**


	34. Chapter 34: Confusion

**Thank you so much for your support, guys! You are adorable. ;)**

**I wanted to publish a new chapter earlier, but I don't have enough time. I even got a threat to update the story. Hahaha. LOL**

**I also wanted to let you know that I'm going to finish this story soon. I'm thinking a good ending that won't let any of you down. I can't be writing this fanfic forever. :)**

**This chapter is not as lengthy as you wished it to be, but I guess you want to read a new chapter, even if it's short.**

**I'll try to update as soon as possible, but be patient, please. ;)**

**Don't forget I am not a native English speaker, so I apologize in advance for my grammar mistakes.**

**glorymania: Thank you! I appreciate your nice words. ;) Emily is just fighting for her girl. :D You're right about Paige, she needs space, but I don't think she will be capable of surrending to the charms of Emily any longer.**

**nowhere89: I'm sorry that you don't like that their characters are not behaving like they would in the tv show. But I'm just a fan who loves writing Paily fanfics and I had to adjust their personalities a little bit so l could make the story more interesting. :)**

**Sazar: Yeah, the whole "I'm staying for dinner" situation was fun. I'm glad you liked it.**

**Jamscottroc54: Are you happy now? xD Paige won't plot a revenge against Kate, but there's a conversation coming (read below, :D ) . Russian spy… Hahaha. They both know they're more than friends, but don't worry about that. Emily will keep on trying and Paige has feelings too, so…**

**abc: Hahaha. Soon…**

**cici: You have so many questions. LOL With Alice in town you'll know more about Emily's and Paige's feelings.**

**Del: Thank you! They're both hurt, but time heals everything, right? :)**

**Cony: ¡Gracias! ¿Significa eso que eres rencorosa? ****LOL Paige está dolida, pero al final no podrá resistirse. Este capítulo tiene momentos dulces y no tan dulces, pero espero que te guste. Un abrazo. :)**

**Paige's POV**

Today I woke up happy because Alice is coming to town this afternoon. I can really use a friend right now, I'm tired of being alone for most part of the day. I don't see Emily in any of my classes, but I know I'll see her at swim practice. After what happened yesterday, I'm not sure about how she will behave towards me. I won't have to wait any longer to know that, though, 'cause I'm already heading to the natatorium.

I enter the locker room and I put on my swimsuit. There's nobody else in the locker room, there's just silence around me. Suddenly the door opens and Emily walks in. Her brown eyes and black hair mesmerize me.

"Hi, my friend," she says ironically before heading to her locker.

"Hi," I add shyly.

She's looking me up and down and I'm looking at her out of the corner of my eye.

"You built a lot of muscle mass at that swim camp. You look stunning," she says smirking. I flush. She's flirting with me again. It's so clear now that he won't give up on us so easily, she wants to win me back no matter how.

"Thanks. You're not so bad yourself," I reply smiling slightly.

"Wow! Was that a smile, McCullers?" She's smiling widely as she gets closer to me.

"It wasn't," I joke. She gets even closer to me.

"Look me in the eye and tell me you weren't smiling," she says as she lifts my chin. She's giggling at me. I try to keep a straight face, but I fail miserably. I smile widely as she puts her hands around my neck. She alternates her gaze between my eyes and my lips as she bites her upper lip.

I can't stop looking at her perfect lips. Just when she's about to kiss me, the door opens and Kate enters the locker room. She doesn't say a word, she just heads toward her locker and starts looking for something. Emily keeps staring and me, but I can't help but look defiantly at my new nemesis.

"You're hot, McCullers," Emily whispers sexily in my ear as she puts her left hand on my right cheek. My cheeks get red and I feel a shiver run down my spine. She smiles again and she makes her way into the natatorium, leaving me alone with Kate.

When Kate is about to leave, I pluck up my courage, this is my chance to speak with her.

"Hey! I want to talk to you," I add calmly. I still hate her guts, but I think I should have a mature conversation with my ex-friend.

"About what?" she asks staring at me. I frown when I hear her stupid question.

"About quantum physics," I say ironically. "What the hell do you think?" I say raising my voice. I don't know if she made that question on purpose with the sole intention of teasing me or she's really that dumb. It's obvious I want to talk about Emily, who else?

"Are you making fun of me?" She looks surprised. I guess she wasn't really kidding.

"Ok, forget it. I want to talk about Emily." She immediately looks down, she's obviously trying to avert eye contact. She has a sad look in her eyes, even if she's trying to pretend that she doesn't care.

"I don't have anything to say," she answers lowering her voice. She's still staring at the floor.

"I didn't know you were a coward. Just grow up. I already know you betrayed me, the least you can do is be honest," I add staring at her.

"I like her, that's the true. What do you want me to do?" she says with a sad face.

"She doesn't want you. Don't come near her. And don't you dare to kiss my girlfriend." I look daggers at her, I want her to understand that I'm being serious.

"Your girlfriend? You two broke up, remember? Besides, you don't own her, and I'm sure she liked those kisses. She didn't complain." I'm puzzled, I can't believe what I hear. She's a bitch.

"What happened to you, Kate? You were a nice girl. You have changed a lot and I seriously miss the way you used to be."

"People change," she says briefly.

"I don't see the point of continuing with this bullshit. Just… Don't come between us, I'm warning you," I say with a look of rage.

She slams the door of her locker and walks away without saying a word. I tried to warn her nicely, but she made it clear she's not giving up on Emily.

**Emily's POV**

We spend the one-hour practice exchanging glances. I wasn't lying before, she's so hot in that swimsuit that I feel the urge to pin her up against the wall and kiss her passionately while I caress every inch of her body. It's been a long time since she touched me and I'm feeling needy. I can't understand how a person can make me feel that way.

When we finish practice the rest of the girls go to the locker room, but Coach Fulton wants to talk to me, so when I get to the locker room they're all gone. I wanted to tell Paige if she liked to grab a coffee, but she already left, so my plan will have to wait.

After showering and getting dressed, I make my way to the parking lot. There are two girls talking to each other just next to my car, but I can't see who they are. As I get closer to them, I see those two girls are Spencer and Kate. They're both talking loudly at the same time, it seems they're arguing. Suddenly they both realize that I'm approaching them and they stop what they were doing. Kate leaves immediately and Spencer just stands beside my car while she tries to pretend nothing happened.

"Hi, Em," she says smiling at me and trying to act normal.

"What was that about?" I scowl at her, I won't pretend I didn't see them arguing. I'm sick of lies.

"Nothing. I just… wanted to speak with her because she's in my same Chem class and…" she starts saying before I interrupt her. She's not looking me in the eyes. I know Spencer well, she's lying.

"I don't buy it. I'm not stupid. I know you were talking about me. Just… tell me the truth." She frowns at me, she doesn't want to say anything. But I know her very well, she won't keep lying to me, she'll be honest.

"I told her to stay away from you," she affirms.

"Spencer… just… stay out of it. I told her already that I don't want to be with her. She knows. I don't need you to be my bodyguard, I'm not a little girl," I add while she nods at me. She doesn't seem paying attention, though, she's looking somewhere else. "Spence, are you listening to me?" She doesn't even blink.

"Is that… who I think it is?" she says frowning her forehead.

"What are you talking about?" I ask before I turn around and try to understand what Spence is talking about.

Paige is hugging Alice on the other side of the parking lot. It appears that Alice just got here and was waiting for Paige after swim practice.

"_Is that long hug really necessary?"_ I think to myself.

She saw Paige just a few days ago. It's impossible to miss her so much unless there's something else going between the two of them. I can't stop thinking that she may be the reason why she hastily broke up with me. I mean, why else did she do that?

"It's just a hug, Em," Spence says trying to comfort me. I can't get rid of the angry look on my face, and Spencer noticed that I'm annoyed about her coming to town. Besides, Paige was in a good mood before practice, I thought that I was finally getting her to forgive me. It seems that won't be as easy as I thought with Alice in Rosewood.

"I'm not so sure about that." I keep looking at them, but they don't notice we're staring at them.

"Don't worry about that. Let's go have coffee and we can talk about that," she says holding my arm.

Once we are at the cafeteria enjoying a hot cup of coffee and talking about my worries, Paige and Alice walk in and they both stare at us.

"Hey! Come join us!" Spencer shouts at them. I elbow her in the ribs so she stops doing that. I don't want to deal with their laughs and the chemistry between the two of them. I'm hurt, seeing them happy is the least thing I need right now. Spencer looks at me with a surprised look, like she doesn't understand I don't want them sitting with us. Alice is holding Paige's hand, they're not hiding their relationship anymore. My heart falls into pieces and I feel so much rage inside. Unluckily, Paige and Alice approach us and take a seat while I keep frowning at Spencer. She just smiles at me, she really thinks she's doing me a favor.

**Paige's POV**

"Don't be bad-mannered. They're asking us to join them, Paige," Alice says as she gently holds my hand and forces me to accept the invitation.

"It won't end well, Alice," I insist. She doesn't listen to me, though. We keep getting closer to their table as I stare at Emily. She seems pissed.

"If you want her, just pluck up the courage and try to win her confidence back." She's right about that, but I don't think I'm capable of dealing with Emily and her bodyguard at the same time. Besides, Alice doesn't know Emily thinks we are dating. This is the worst idea ever.

"Hi," I say trying to be nice. "This is my friend Alice," I say looking at Spencer and emphasizing the word "friend", so she stops imagining things.

"Nice to meet you, Spencer," Alice adds with a huge smile on her face. "Hi, Emily. I'm glad to see you again."

"Hi," Emily adds briefly. Alice is being nice, but Emily is not clearly happy to see her.

"Nice to meet you, Alice," Spencer adds smiling at her. I'm glad she's in a good mood, otherwise this would be too much for me to deal.

"So, you are a friend of Paige's…" she says staring at me. I knew Spencer had something in mind when she told us to join them. So she wanted to interrogate us. I look daggers at her and she just smirks. She loves creating awkward situations. Emily is looking at her phone, I guess that's her way of telling me that she is angry with me.

"Yeah, that's right," Alice says nicely. "She was my roommate in jail," she jokes. Spencer scowls at her. "At the swim camp," she specifies when she sees that Spencer didn't understand what she said. "I was lucky she was my roommate. If I had to share my bedroom with one of those bitches I would have gone mad. What they did to you, it was just beyond mean," she says caressing my arm and looking me in the eye. Suddenly Emily leaves her phone on the table and stares at me as she frowns her forehead.

"It was no big deal," I add trying to avoid that thorny subject.

"Don't say that, Paige. I know what happened, they treated you like shit." I don't want to talk about that right now. Not in front of Spencer and Emily. The two of them are paying a lot of attention, they clearly want to know what really happened. I have to stop this right now. I look angrily at Alice and she instantly understands what I'm trying to tell her, there's no need for words.

She changes the subject when she realizes that she put her foot in it. "So, how are you, Emily?" she asks politely.

"I'm great. You don't know how happy I am," she says ironically. I kick Emily's leg under the table and I give her an angry look so she stops doing that. Alice is a nice girl, Emily has no right to treat her like that. I'm starting to regret not telling Alice that Emily thinks we are a couple.

"That's great!" she adds cheerfully. "Are you dating someone?" she asks catching Emily off guard.

"No… I'm not," she adds hesitantly. She didn't see that coming, Alice wanted to make her feel uncomfortable.

"What about you?" Emily asks staring at her. She's obviously mad at my friend. I've always found her more attractive when she's angry.

"Well, that's complicated," she adds smiling at Emily. I'm trying to stay cool in this tense situation, but if I don't stop this right now I know something bad could happen. I can tell Emily is about to explode with anger.

"She has a boyfriend," I add before things get more heated. Besides, I'm not lying.

"No, I ended that relationship, Paige. I'm actually trying to find my soulmate." That means she broke up with him just a few days ago. I don't know why she didn't tell me before. I'm surprised by the announcement. I look at Emily, she's more than jealous. I need to speak with her, but we don't need an audience. I just need to have a face-to-face conversation with her as soon as possible.

**Review, please. Thanks! ;)**


	35. Chapter 35: Uncovering the truth

**Thank you so much for your support, guys! You are adorable. ;)**

**I'm thinking the next chapter will be the last one. I know you like this story, but I feel like it will get boring if I keep writing more chapters.**

**This chapter is not as lengthy as you wished it to be, but I wanted to update it so I don't get more threats. LOL**

**I'll try to update as soon as possible, but be patient, please. ;)**

**Don't forget I am not a native English speaker, so I apologize in advance for my grammar mistakes.**

**dayabieberxo: Thank you! I'm quite sure you'll love this chapter even more. ;)**

**Jamscottroc54: Torturing Kate is forbidden! xD Kate will be in the next chapter. Yay! :D I understand Emily being mad at Alice, 'cause she thinks she's mocking her. She's just being nice, but you gotta see their friendship from Emily's perspective. :) Yep, Alice is adorable. :)**

**Cony: Me parece gracioso que a todo el mundo le guste ver a Emily celosa. Lo del alma gemela se explica en este capítulo, así que saldrás de dudas. :) ¡Gracias! La verdad es que no esperaba haber escrito tantos capítulos, porque escribir en inglés me cuesta muchísimo más que en español. Un abrazo. ;)**

**Jd: Thank you! ;) Things get really interesting. I hope you like this chapter. :)**

**cici: As for Alice liking Paige and the break-up… Just read this chapter. xD I'm sure you'll like what is about to happen. Spencer mediating? Hahaha. We'll see… :D**

**Del: The best part about Alice being so spontaneous is that she didn't mean to hurt her, but she drove Emily crazy without even trying. :D Emily is just desperate, she wants Paige so badly that she would anything to win her back. Thank you! You're always so nice. ;)**

**Emily's POV**

I can't believe Alice said that she's trying to find her soulmate in front of me. She obviously came to Rosewood with the intention of making clear that she's dating her now. She wants me to understand that there's nothing I can do to get her back. I'm so mad at Paige right now for not telling me what was going between them. However, there's no need to rub it in. They shouldn't have accepted Spencer's invitation. Spencer is trying to tell me to calm me down by putting her hand on my thigh and staring at me with that look I know so well. I don't care what she thinks anymore, I won't let this happen. I mean, I have nothing to lose now.

"And are you close to finding your soulmate?" I ask frowning at her. Paige kicks my leg under the table again. "I want to know, Paige," I add staring at her defiantly while she gives me an angry look.

"I don't know what life will bring me tomorrow. I know there's someone for me out there, but I guess I'll have to wait, right?" she adds smiling at me. Her positive attitude and her perfect smile is starting to piss me.

"I don't believe in soulmates," Spencer adds staring at me. What is she trying to tell me? Does she really think I should give up on her? This is frustrating. Paige has not said a word in a while, she's clearly not comfortable. I know she is in an awkward position and I'm sure she wished the earth would swallow her up. I can tell it by looking at her eyes.

"What about you, Emily? Do you believe in soulmates?" Alice asks as she looks at me with that cheerful look on her face.

"Why don't you ask me directly if I love her? That's what you want to know, right?" I ask angrily. Alice raises her eyebrows, she didn't expect my reaction. But she totally deserves it, I can't help but projecting all the rage and pain I've been feeling these last minutes.

"I'm sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable, Emily. It wasn't my intention." She's giving me her "good girl" gaze, but I don't buy it. She's been trying to drive me crazy since she got here and started teasing and provoking me.

"This is a misunderstanding, okay? Just stop, Emily! Alice didn't do anything wrong," Paige adds breaking her silence. That's great, now she's defending her girlfriend and she's telling me off. If she really thinks Alice is the victim here, she's dead wrong. I'm so devastated because she got me into this damned crossroads. I think I should get the right to defend myself if she's attacking me. "Can you two leave us alone so we can talk about this?" she asks as she looks at Alice and Spencer.

"You're out of your mind if you think that I'm going to leave so you can hurt my friend more than you already did," Spencer adds staring at her with that "killer look" that gets me nervous. Paige is not happy about Spencer's words, but she's not mad at all, she's sad.

"You know what? Let's go, Spence," I add as we both stand up and head towards the door.

"Please, Emily," she says staring at me while she tries to hold my arm when we're about to leave the café.

"You already made the choice," I tell her as she looks at me with her sad puppy eyes.

Spencer gets into her car and I follow her.

"What were you trying to tell me?" I ask staring at her.

"She's a bitch, Em. She's hurting you, you got to move on. I know it will be hurtful, but you'll thank me eventually," she says caressing my shoulder.

"I don't know if I can do that, not if I keep seeing her every day at school," I add sadly.

"At least you got to try. She's no good for you, Em. You deserve better. I tried to give her the benefit of the doubt, but she always ends up screwing everything up."

"Or maybe she was saying the truth, and this is only a misund…" I start saying before she interrupts me.

"Come on, Emily! Wake up! Do you really think that?"

"I don't know, I guess I want to think that she wants to be with me. But, what if…"

"Stop right there, please," Spencer says frowning her forehead and shaking her head disapprovingly.

Suddenly the café door opens again and Paige and Alice approach us. I have a feeling this nightmare doesn't end here.

**Paige's POV**

"What the hell was that about?" Alice asks as I get back to the table we were sharing with Emily and Spencer before they left. I feel powerless, she left and I couldn't tell her that she is imagining things.

"I guess I should tell you the truth." I pause to sigh and I take a seat. She's looking at me curiously, she is staring at me like her life depends on it. "Emily thinks that we are dating. I was planning to tell you, but I didn't expect this would happen," I add pointing at the table where everything happened.

"What the fuck? Are you serious?" she says laughing loudly. "I'm sorry, Paige. I mean, I know I shouldn't laugh, but you got to admit it's kinda funny." I smile slightly.

"So, that's why she got so defensive with your questions. I'm pretty sure she thought that you were gloating over, you know, being my girlfriend."

"Oh… Now I get it. I'm so sorry, Paige. I blew it massively," she admits while she gives me a sad look.

"You don't have to apologize, Alice. I should have told you what was going on."

"I was actually going to tell you that you should pick a better girlfriend, 'cause… Damn! She's bitter and rude." I smile at her and she smirks at me.

"She's adorable. I mean, when she's not paranoid," I emphasize. She smiles at me.

"I told you everything. Now, don't you have anything you want to say?" I add ironically.

"I'm single, that's all. I broke up with him, but I'm okay. Really," she insists when I frown.

"What happened?"

"It wasn't working. Like I said before, he was not the one. It's not the end of the world. In case you're wondering, I only like boys. I know you love me, but you're not my type, McCullers," she jokes.

"You wish!" I say giggling.

"No more secrets. Now, go get your girl," she says pointing at the door.

Once outside, I look around to see if they already left. Luckily, they're both inside Spencer's car, so we get closer. It seems like they're having a serious conversation and I have a feeling that I'm the subject of that conversation. I knock on the car window and she instantly gives me a look, but Spencer keeps talking to her, so I don't think I'll be lucky. Suddenly she rolls down the window and I see Spencer looking daggers at me.

"What do you want?" Emily asks slightly pissed.

"I want to tell you the truth. Come with me, please," I beg her.

"Don't do it, Em," Spencer adds obviously worried of her friend's decision when she opens the door.

"Really?" I say surprised because of her reaction. I didn't think it would be so easy to convince her that we need to do this. "Let's go to my car." Alice winks at me and she gets into Spencer's car. I don't know what she's trying to do.

"Can you give me a ride to Paige's, please?" she asks smiling at Spencer. Spencer gives her an angry look.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" she says surprisedly.

I can't help but laugh when I hear Alice asking Spencer a favor after what happened with Emily. She's going to drive her crazy and I got to admit I love the idea.

We both get into my car and there is an awkward silence for a few seconds until I start speaking. I turn my head to the right and I look at her. She's looking down, she accepted to give me this chance, but I can tell she's not going to make things easy for me.

"Emily," I say staring at her. But she doesn't say anything or look at me. "Okay, I get that you're angry. I knew this wouldn't be easy, but here you are. I just want you to listen to me carefully. I'll be brief."

"First of all, l'm not dating Alice. She's straight and I don't like her in that way. I just want you," I say after taking a deep breath. I can't believe that I'm actually nervous, but I guess I'm afraid she's going to ignore me even when I tell her the whole truth.

She suddenly stops her passive attitude and looks at me.

"Then, why did she…?" She starts saying before I interrupt her.

"Let me say everything I want to and then you can do whatever you want, please," I add smiling slightly. She nods at me, but I can't see her beautiful smile yet. I hope it gets better.

"Secondly, I broke up with you because…" I pause, it's difficult to say it aloud. She is staring at me, I clearly got her attention. "The other girls at the swim camp tormented me," I say while I look down, trying to avert her eyes. "I know I should know better after what Alison did to me, but I just… couldn't." I pause again. I'm getting emotional and I don't want to break into tears when I'm trying to apologize to her. "I was constantly demeaned and humiliated, and it took a while for me to face them. That's why I wasn't answering your phone calls. I didn't feel good and I didn't want you to worry because I was having a hard time. When you came to visit I was completely broken and you were the target of my anger. I know that was stupid. I'm so sorry, Emily," I add as I pluck up courage to look her in the eye. She has a sad look in her eyes.

"Paige, I just…" I put my finger to her lips, making her to stop talking. She flushes and she closes her eyes as she sighs. It feels great to know that a simple touch makes her feel that way.

"I told you to be quiet," I add smirking at her. I am only a few inches apart from her and my heart is racing. Suddenly she holds my left hand, intertwining our fingers.

"Anything else?" she teases me as a smile grows on her face. I smile back at her. I cup her chin with my right hand to pull her face slowly towards mine. She's staring at my lips.

"Finally, but not least, I love you too, Fields" I whisper in her ear as I pull away from her kiss and make her sigh heavily.

**Review, please. :)**

**The next chapter is the last one, but I plan on writing a happy Paily chapter for you. ;) **


	36. Chapter 36: Everything is gonna be okay

**Well, the finale is here. :(**

**I'm sorry for not updating sooner, but this week was hectic.**

**I want to thank you all for reading this, you can't imagine how happy I am. You were so nice to me and I really appreciate the support. I know a lot of you didn't want this story to end, but I had to because I didn't want this story to get boring and due to the lack of free time to write too.**

**However, I hope you like this last chapter. I tried to write a happy chapter, maybe even a little bit fluffy, but I'm pretty sure you'll love it. :)**

**Sazar: Thanks! I admit there was a lot of drama, but there were happy moments too, so… fifty-fifty. :D**

**glorymania: Thank you! Yeah, this is the last chapter. I hope I don't let you down with the end of this story. Your reviews always make me smile. :)**

**Cony: Alice y Spencer son el mejor dúo cómico, desde luego. Jaja. Sip, este episodio apenas tiene drama, así que no os quejaréis. En cuanto a lo de escribir más fics, no te puedo asegurar nada. Ahora mismo apenas tengo tiempo libre y en breve tendré todavía menos tiempo debido a temas de trabajo, así que no sé si podré sacar aunque sea unos minutos para escribir. Si se me ocurre una buena idea y tengo tiempo, no dudes que publicaré algo, y más aún si hay gente como tú que disfruta con mis idas de cabeza y cliffhangers. xD**

**Jamscottroc54: Thanks! There's more Kate and Spencer interaction. Hilarious. Haha. Yeah, I'm sad this is coming to an end, but I'm sure you'll love this last chapter.**

**cici: Thank you! Yeah, Kate is necessary for the ending, you'll love it, though. xD**

**TheShawmeister: Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed this story. The teasing part was really fun to write. Haha. I know there's no complaining, but I think 36 chapters are enough, don't you think? :)**

**Del: Thank you for your nice words. I don't think I'm a good writer, writing in English is really hard for me, but I appreciate your words. I mean it. :)**

**I don't know if I'll have time to write more fanfics, but if I have a good idea and free time, I assure you I'll keep writing for you. Thanks again. ;)**

**Guest: Thank you. Your reviews made my day. I'm so glad you liked the story. Now you're making me think about writing more. Darn! xD**

**Enjoy, guys!**

**Emily's POV**

I didn't know what was going to happen when we got into her car, but it seems we worked everything out. I didn't see the bullying part coming and it makes me feel very sorry. I mean, I thought she cheated on me and she was being tormented instead. After listening to her explanation, and before she said that she loved me, I couldn't stop staring at her and I felt the urge to kiss her. She avoided my kiss, though. Luckily, she didn't do that because she doesn't want to kiss me, she's just teasing me, and that makes me want to kiss her even more.

"I told you to just listen to me until I was done. You're not a good listener," she adds while she puts her right hand on my cheek.

"Okay, then… Are you done?" I ask smirking. She nods at me as a smile grows on her face. "I'm so sorry about what happened at that swim camp," I say changing the subject. She suddenly looks down, she has a sad look on her face. I cup her face on my hands and I lift her head to look her in the eye. "They were jealous because you were the best swimmer and you had the hottest girlfriend ever, right?" She smiles slightly at me. I know that kind of jokes always make her feel better. "But you're a warrior and you faced them eventually. That's my girl!" I add euphorically as I hold her hands.

"Thanks. I needed this," she says with a wide smile on her beautiful face.

"As for you loving me… Are you serious?" I say looking directly at her eyes as my expression becomes very serious. I know she was being serious, but I want to hear those words again, I need to be sure she really means that.

"Actually, I want to take it back. You disgust me," she jokes.

"Are you sure about that?" I say as I get closer to her, our faces only inches apart. I bite my lower lip and I lean in to kiss her, but she pulls away again and flashes me a mischievous grin. I frown at her and she keeps smirking. Her little game is getting me so excited, she knows that and she's making the most of it. "Okay, there's no kiss for you today. Just drive, Paige," I say before I take my original position, keeping distance. All of a sudden she holds the back of my neck gently and she kisses me passionately. I suddenly realize how much I missed her. I can feel my heart pounding with excitement. Her smell and her taste give me shivers down the spine. She moves her tongue inside my mouth and playfully touches my tongue. A low moan escapes my lips as her tongue keeps exploring my mouth. We both pull away to breath, but I want to experience the feel of her lips on mine again.

"I love you, Emily," she says smiling at me as she smooths my untidy hair back from my face.

"I love you too," I add before giving her a kiss.

At that moment, my phone rings and I look at the screen.

"It's my mom," I say as I show her who the caller is.

"Don't answer, please." She smirks and leans in to kiss my neck. She leaves a trail of kisses across my neck and my jaw line.

"Hi, mom." She keeps kissing me, but she stops when I start to breathe heavily. She winks at me as she starts the engine.

"Are you okay, honey?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Why?"

"Have you been running? You were kind of out of breath."

"Yes, I was running towards Paige's car because I was late and she was waiting for me," I lie. Paige smiles widely when she looks at me. I'm blushing.

"So, Paige…" she says with a sarcastic tone of voice.

"Yeah, what is wrong with that?" I ask as I frown my forehead. I thought she didn't know about our break-up. After all, she was out of town. I guess she knew because I was really bitter since that fateful day.

"It's okay, Emily. I'm just happy for you." So she knew it all this time. She didn't say anything, though. I suppose she didn't want to make me feel even more depressed. I'm glad she didn't.

"Are you coming for dinner? I just made your favorite dish," she says happily. I can't skip this dinner, she cooked for me, not going would be really rude. I want to spend more time with Paige, but being a good daughter is important too. "You can invite her if you want." It's like she read my mind.

"Of course I'll go home for dinner, mom. I'll ask her too. See you soon."

"Bye, honey."

Once I hang up I see that when I was talking to my mom I got a text from Spencer.

"**Alice is harmless. She just told me that they're not dating, it was a misunderstanding. She even made a pass at Toby, I had to stop her. Forgive her, okay? See ya."**

I can't help but smile slightly when I read her text. Everybody thinks that Spencer is a bad-tempered and a very serious person, but she's the most loyal girl I've ever known. She's always there for me, and I really appreciate her friendship.

"So…" Paige says as she gives me an adorable grin.

"My mom wanted to know if I am having dinner with her. She was cooking, so…"

"It's okay, Em. We've been apart for a long time, I think I can handle another day," she says smiling at me.

"Do you want to join us?" I ask nicely.

"Well… I'd like to go, but… You know, Alice is here, and she doesn't know anybody." I detect a little bit of fear in her eyes. I guess she's afraid I'm going to get mad because she is spending time with her "other girlfriend".

"Calm down, Paigey. I get it. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" I add smiling at her.

She stops her car in front of my house and he leans in to kiss me. I kiss her back more effusively as she caresses my back inside my shirt.

"You can't imagine how much I missed you," she affirms with her hand on my cheek.

"I missed you too," I add before giving her a goodbye kiss.

"Okay, this is awkward. Your mom was looking," she says staring at my mom, who's standing on the front porch. She waves her hand excitedly as she smiles at her.

"Don't worry about that. She adores you," I say smiling at her before I open the car door.

"See you tomorrow. Now I got to go home and make out with my other girlfriend," she teases me with a huge smile on her face.

"Dumbass!" I add as I raise my eyebrows. She keeps laughing at me. I admit that was funny. She turns on the engine and leaves after waving at my mom again.

**Paige's POV**

"Tell me your plan worked," Alice adds staring at me when I get home. She's sitting on the couch watching TV, but she instantly stands up when she sees me. "Okay, there's no need you to say anything," she says smiling at me when she sees the huge smile that grows on my face. "I'm so happy for you." She gets closer to hug me.

"Thanks. You said I should talk to her after our encounter before, so thank you," I add nicely while I keep hugging her.

"You don't have to thank me. I guess you were so adorable that she couldn't resist you," she says smiling at me. She pulls away from the hug.

"How did you get here? You didn't get Spencer to give you a ride, right?" I open my eyes widely, it's almost impossible that actually happened. She gives me her rebellious girl look. "No, you didn't."

"Yep, I'm that good," she admits smirking. I can't help but burst into laughter.

"Okay, I got to say you're my hero. You got Spencer to give you a ride even when she thought you were dating me and teasing Emily." I raise my hands and make a praise gesture to her.

"When I told her that what they thought was nonsense she believed me. But at first she started yelling me. She didn't shut up for a few minutes, so I decided to turn on the radio, but it didn't work. She got even more furious, she stopped the car and told me to leave. Actually, it was funny," she adds. Alice knows no limits, she can be wild. However, from what she told me at the camp, she's gotten into a lot of trouble because of her crazy personality. I suppose that's why I like her so much, she's so different from everyone else.

"Oh, my God. You're genuine." I smile. "What did she say after?"

"She said that she was truly sorry. She's actually a nice girl, Paige."

"Yeah, I know that. She gets paranoid about nothing, but I like her. Besides, she takes care of Emily."

"I think she likes me too, she invited me to grab coffee tomorrow. And that is great news, 'cause I kind of put my foot in it when I flirted with a guy that we saw on our way home. It turns out he was her boyfriend." I laugh harder because I know that Toby gets really uncomfortable in that kind of situations and Spencer's reaction must have been so funny.

"Are you sure she still wants to buy you a coffee?" I joke.

"Yep," she says happily.

"Well, let's have dinner and we will watch a movie later, okay?"

"Great," she adds before sitting again on the couch.

The next morning, I wake up with a giant grin on my face. It's 6 A.M., but I'm feeling great because the girl of my dreams finally came back to me. After getting dressed and having a huge breakfast I head towards school. I'm walking down the hall to get to my locker room and grab some book I'll be needing. Someone is leaning on my locker, I guess she's waiting for me, 'cause she's alone.

"Hi, Paige," Spencer says shyly once I approach her. She's apologizing, I knew that this moment would come.

"Hi," I answer looking at her surprisedly.

"I'm really sorry, Paige. I'm an idiot. You have the right to hate me." She stares at me, she's being honest.

"Hate you?" I laugh. "It's okay, Spencer, but you got to start trusting me. I mean, I'm your friend's girlfriend and I won't hurt her, like ever. But I also understand that you thought I left her because of another girl. I made a mistake and you were just trying to protect her."

"I just wanted you to know that I'm sorry, that's all."

"Don't say the word "sorry" again, you're making me feel uncomfortable, Hastings." I laugh at her, she's smiling too.

"Okay, I'm happy you forgive me, 'cause I know you're a really important person to her."

"So…" I add trying to change the subject. "Is Toby still dating you after Alice sexually harassed him?" I tease her. She starts laughing.

"Your friend is just… crazy. She seems nice, though. Actually, I'll meet her for a coffee after school."

"Thanks for spending time with her, she's getting bored of me," I joke.

Spencer's face suddenly drops. She clearly is paying attention to something else.

"That bitch…." she adds angrily. "I told her to stay away from Emily, but she's relentless." I look to the entrance door and I see Emily walking towards us, Kate keeps talking to her although Emily is clearly ignoring her. I approach them and Spencer follows me. Emily sees me getting closer and she gives me a huge smile. I hold her around the waist, pulling her close to me, and I kiss her passionately.

"Good morning, princess," I add when the kiss ends. She is speechless, but I can tell she liked it as much as I did because she's smirking at me. Kate, on the other hand, is not as pleased because of my romantic gesture. She looks daggers at us and leaves without saying a word.

"That's what I was talking about. Lesson learned!" Spencer yells at her while she walks away. "I got to go, girls. I'll leave you two alone," she adds smiling at us.

"What was all that about?" she asks sexily as she cups my face.

"Do I have to ask permission to kiss my girlfriend?" I smirk. "I just wanted her to know that you and I…" I start saying before she interrupts me placing her fingers over my lips.

"There's no need to do that. I made clear to you that I want to be with you." She smirks as she holds my hand.

"I talked to her yesterday," I add looking down at the floor. I want to be honest with her, I don't want to hide anything.

"Who, Kate?" I nod. "Why did you do that? I mean, Spencer talked to her too, but I'm not interested in her," she repeats.

"But she will keep trying, she basically admitted that she won't stop until you give her a chance," I add hurtfully.

"You didn't do anything stupid, right?" She frowns at me.

"Jeez. Who do you think I am? I'm not a gang member," I add smiling. "I told her to leave my girlfriend alone, that's all?"

"So… your girlfriend? You weren't my girlfriend at that exact moment," she teases me.

"You will always be my girlfriend, no matter what. You're mine, Fields," I add pointing at her and then at my chest. She smiles and she stares at me.

"I love it when you get really jealous." She smirks. "Forget about Kate. I don't care what she said." She lifts my chin firmly and she puts her hands around my neck afterwards. "I wouldn't do this if I wanted to be with her," she adds smirking before kissing me again.

"Don't stop, please," I say grinning when she pulls away.

"I got to go to class, and you too." She smiles at me. When she's about to walk away, I pull her closer to my body, with our faces just inches apart. She is looking at my lips and then back to my eyes.

"You're a killjoy, Fields," I add smiling at her.

"I'm a responsible girl," she teases before giving me a goodbye kiss and walking away with a wide smile on her face.

"See you later, Em," I add waving while I admire the beautiful view in front of me.

After class I meet her outside my classroom, ready to go get coffee. She greets me with a kiss and she links arms with me as we walk down the hall. Suddenly, I see Kate walking towards us, but instead of saying something to Emily, she walks by, averting our gaze. Does this mean she's finally accepting that she has no chance with her?

"That was weird," I add staring at Emily, who's also surprised because of her attitude.

"Yeah, I'm glad she stopped doing that, though." I nod at her. She opens the car and we both get into it. "I prefer your kisses," she adds sexily.

"Really?" I lean in, bringing my face closer to hers and grinning at her. She nods at me, I can tell what she wants.

"Just kiss me already," she adds smiling at me. I lean in and I kiss her soft lips. "I needed that," she admits before turning on the engine.

When we get to the café, we look around to see which table to seat at. I hear a familiar voice.

"Over here!" Alice shouts to us. She's with Spencer.

"Do you want to join them? I mean, if you don't… we could leave," I say.

"Yeah, sure. It didn't end well last time, but it's different now," she adds with a smile on her face.

"Hi, Emily!" Alice says nicely. "Why are you with my girlfriend?" she jokes.

"Hi, Alice. We'll have to share her," she says smiling at her as she holds my hand.

"Hi, Spencer," we both say in unison.

"Hi, there."

We order coffee and we sit down in front of our friends.

"So… something really odd happened with Kate. She ignored me," Emily says.

Alice looks at Spencer and they both laugh.

"We made it. Give me five, Hastings!" Alice says euphorically while the both of them grin.

"What did you do?" I hope they didn't do anything stupid. It's good news she's not after Emily, but I don't want them to be in trouble.

"It was Alice's idea," Spencer admits.

"Well, let's just say we work well in a team environment." Emily and I are anxious to know what the hell they did.

"Spit it out," Emily tells Spencer.

"I told her that my mom was a lawyer and that she would get into trouble if she kept sexually harassing you. I don't really know if that's even possible, but I guess that it worked, so…"

"Wow, that's a good one," I add nodding at them. "Thanks. I really appreciate it."

"Thanks, guys. I don't know what to say," Emily says staring at them.

"You don't have to say anything," Alice says.

"Forget about that bitch," Spencer adds smiling.

After having a cup of coffee, we leave the café and spend some time together. I still can't believe I'm dating this incredible girl, I'm so happy. When I get home after spending an awesome afternoon with my girlfriend Alice is waiting for me. Apparently she wants to talk about something important. She basically tells me that I should do something nice for Emily. My parents won't be at home this weekend and Alice already spoke with Spencer about 'their Saturday plan'. The girls invited Alice to spend the afternoon with them so we can be alone at my place. It is so nice of them to do that so we can spend quality time together after so many problems that got us apart. However, Alice came to visit me, so I promise her that I will spend Saturday morning and Sunday with her.

**Saturday**

I want to do something special for Emily, I want to surprise her. This morning I called to tell her that I wanted to hang out with her, but I know she doesn't expect this. In fact, I spent a lot of time cooking so dinner is ready when we get home. I've always enjoyed cooking, and I know how much she likes homemade food. When I get to her place, I ring the doorbell and her mom opens the door.

"Hi, Pam," I add smiling at her. I know the last time she saw me was three months ago, but I didn't expect her hugging me.

"How are you, Paige?" she says when she pulls away from the unexpected hug. "Didn't you eat since the last time I saw you?" she jokes.

"I'm okay, I just… You know, a lot of training can make you lose weight."

Suddenly Emily approaches the door, she's looking inside her purse.

"Oh! I forgot the wallet. Wait a minute, please," she adds as she goes upstairs.

"Come on in," her mom says nicely. When Emily is not watching us, Pam gets closer to me. I'm nervous, I don't know why she's invading my personal space, but this is not like her. "I won't bite you," she says smiling. "I know you two broke up. Emily was unrecognizable. I'm glad you two are back together. I mean, you make her happy. You're family now, Paige." I didn't see this coming, I don't even know what to say. She doesn't imagine how much those words mean to me.

"Thank you. I really… appreciate hearing you say that. Thank you," I insist.

"What are you up to?" Emily says once she comes downstairs and she sees us speaking in a low voice.

"It's nothing, honey. Have fun,"

"Bye, mom."

"Bye. Thank you again," I say trying not to sound annoying, but well-mannered. She smiles at me again.

"What was that about? Did she say anything?" Emily asks nervously.

"No, it's okay, Em. She is nice, that's all."

"Okay," she adds surprisedly. She knows something weird happened, but I'm glad she's not asking more questions. She changes the subject. "Where are we going?"

"Where do you want to go?" I ask grinning at her.

"What is going on? You're acting weird. Your beautiful smile is making me nervous."

"I want to spend time with you. I want to know where you'd like to go now."

"I don't know, Paigey," she says as she holds my hand. "Wherever you want, surprise me," she whispers in my ear with her perfect sexy voice.

**Emily's POV**

"This is your place, Paige. How is this a surprise?" I joke.

"Surprising you is not easy, Fields. Do you want to go somewhere else?" she asks raising her eyebrows.

"No, I'm just… Isn't Alice home?" I ask doubtfully. If she wants to spend the afternoon with Alice and I, she's not the romantic girl I thought she was.

"Yeah, she'll be joining us. Didn't you want a threesome?" she teases me with a wide smile on her face. I push her gently as she keeps laughing.

"No, thanks. I don't want to share you," I add while I get closer to kiss her.

"My parents are out of town and Alice is at Spencer's. They're such good friends. Today you're mine, Fields," she whispers in my ear before kissing me again. "We have a house for ourselves, making out in the car is not a wise option, don't you think?" she asks smiling me before leaving the car.

She opens the door and we get inside.

"Make yourself comfortable." She points at the couch while she leaves to the kitchen.

"What is happening here?" I ask staring at her. There's a box of cupcakes on the living room table.

"I thought that we could watch a movie before having dinner. I'm making popcorn." She winks at me.

"You had everything planned, right?" I ask grinning at her. I love that she's so thoughtful and attentive. She's always trying to surprise me with these nice gestures. I approach her and hug her from behind, making her face lighten up. "Oh, my God! Is that homemade lasagna?" She nods at me.

"I got to get it in the oven later. There's salad too."

"You didn't have to do that," I say as I keep hugging her.

"I wanted to do it. It's not only for you," she jokes. "Let's go watch that movie while we eat popcorn and cupcakes. You said I was too thin, right? Then let's eat." I laugh.

"Thank you for everything," I add before I kiss her cheek.

We both sit on the couch as I hold the bowl of popcorn and she turns on the TV.

"You know I'd do anything for you," she says staring at me. My heart melts, she's going to make me cry.

"You're adorable, Paigey," I say as I cuddle with her. She smiles and gives me a kiss on the forehead.

The movie is very boring, but I don't care. Being so close to her, being able to hear her breathing and smell her perfume makes me happy. Suddenly she stands up and I look at her.

"I'm sorry, this movie sucks," she says smirking. "I'm going to turn on the oven to put the lasagna in it, okay?" I nod at her. I guess she got hot with the oven, when she comes back she's only wearing a tight white v-neck t-shirt that shows off her abs. I can't stop looking at her. "Done. We just have to wait ten minutes," she adds.

"Wow!" I add staring at her. She's realized I'm looking her up and down, and she flushes.

"Are you flirting with me, Emily Fields?" she says cockily as she gets closer.

"No, I'm not. You're imagining things." I can't help but grin. She suddenly lays on top of me, her body pressing down on mine drives me crazy. I put my hands around her neck and she leans in slowly to kiss me, she caresses my back at the same time.

"Are you sure about that?" she asks with a soft voice. I smile and nod at her. I try to kiss her, but she pulls away, avoiding my kiss. She grins and then she starts kissing my neck and jawline, till she reaches my lips. She knows that drives me crazy. I open my mouth a little bit so she puts her tongue in it. A moan escapes from her lips when my tongue explores her mouth. She takes my shirt off and she keeps kissing me while I caress her strong abs under her shirt. We're both breathing heavily, my heart is racing. I pull away from her passionate kiss so I can take off her shirt. She frowns and then she smiles at me. Immediately after, I give her a gentle push so I get on top of her and start kissing, leaving a trail of kisses from her lips to her belly button. She's breathing heavily, staring at me passionately. When I'm about to take her jeans off I hear the oven beeping. I suddenly stop and look at her.

"Is that…?" I ask.

"Yeah, dinner is ready, but I don't care," she adds staring at me.

"But, we should turn off the oven, right?" I ask trying to make her understand that we got to stop. She suddenly stands up and cups my face.

"We will continue later. We have all night," she says grinning at me. I give her a kiss before she makes her way to the kitchen.

I set the table and go help her with the salad and lasagna. We sit down at the table and start eating as we talk about our future.

"You won't get rid of me so easily," I say staring at her when we start speaking about going to college.

"We will work that out. I love you, Em, I want to spend the rest of my life with you." I blush. I didn't expect she'd say something like that.

"I love you too," I say before kissing her again. "So, what's for dessert?" I ask changing the subject.

She stands up, approaching me. "You're my dessert, Fields," she says with a sexy voice as she holds my hand and leads me to her bedroom.

**THE END**

**Thank you for reading my story and supporting me till the last chapter. I enjoyed writing this and your nice comments made me really happy. You're awesome! ;) Thanks, guys! :)**


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